Meme forgot my name tonight...
05/09/2008 06:11 a.m.

Really, she's doing so much better than I thought she would overall when we brought her home last October, but tonight, while I was helping her with her shower, she said "Now, what does, uh, you know, that other man....(referring to Miah)....what does he call you? Ahlee?" I said, "Do you mean Miah?" She said, "oh yes, Miah. He calls you 'ahlee'?" (mispronouncing my nick name) I told her, "Well, he calles me Ali." (pronounced alley) She said, "Oh, yes, Ali, that's right. I wonder why he calls you that." I said, "Because it's the short version of my proper name." Then I paused to gauge her response. When there was none, I said, "Do you remember my proper name?" "No," she said quickly. I said, using my best casual tone "Oh, well, it's Alison." And she said, "Yes, of course. Alison. Of course. I didn't remember, but now I do. Alison. I never call you 'Ali'. Never." I reminded her, "You used to, but since you came home from Evergreen, you don't anymore." She thought about it and said, "But I don't call you that now. I can't ever remember calling you that."

So, after a much longer reprieve than I thought was even possible, the Parkinson's is kicking back in. I had actually started to convince myself that she didn't have it at all. Well. I shouldn't be suprised. I knew it was coming eventually.

And her nose won't stop running, and her legs bother her constantly, and her temperature won't regulate itself anymore. All of these, apparently, being symptoms of Parkinson's Dementia. I think it's time to start going to the Dementia support group at the hospital.