It is very hot these days

Hello again

Well it is hot outside. We have temperatures now that we don't usually get until the end of July. And we are set to break records this weekend. That is how hot it is..... For the beginning of summer I am already tanned. I am not lying in the sun. It is just from traveling to and from White Rock. I have to wait for the different buses. And 1/2 hour in the sun gets me dark. Especially everyday.  I have a farmers tan

Now I set my mothers fan up the other day and the base is broken. It is a tower fan and without the base it is useless. The air conditioner does not work properly. What one does, really!

Now I need to buy her a new one this weekend. As the rest of our summer is going to be a hot one. It is still 26 c in Coquitlam, were I stay, at the moment.

When I arrived mom was extremely thirsty. All of her drinks were in my bag or in the fridge. I just had some ice water handy.

So I gave her the ice water and rushed to her room to give her the rest of her drinks.

She was happy after that, and it was dinner time. Tonight mom was as slow as usual, but I have learned to be more patient with this. Just let her chew and swallow at her own pace. I felt better about this tonight. Mom finished in time for us to wash her hair and style it. Even though her hair dryer sparked and died the other day. We had to use the homes hair dryer. Mom does not like this, It is to noisy for her. The one we had was nice and quiet.

Then it was changing her and waiting for the staff to come in, to put her to bed. This was done, I did her spa treatment and some simple exercises on her legs.Bending them. All the while I was singing to mom and I could see and hear her singing along as well.

I am goofy with my mother. I like to see her smile. To laugh. To sing. And if it takes me to be goofy than so be it. I love it.

It takes so long to pack up. I really dislike it. And everything is getting heavier. I think it has to do with having Parkinson's. My muscle are getting weaker. Soon I won't be able to carry these things. Not for awhile though. It is just the beginning stages of the disease. This could last the rest of my life or I could get worse. So maybe it is just plain to heavy to carry. I think it is the latter.

I packed up so I could spend time just holding mom's hand while she fell asleep, with me singing to her.

I made it back in good time tonight. Well 2 1/2 hours instead of three.



Before I go on the other day, I was drinking a leftover coke of mom's. ( I take the one's home each night and bring her a new one each day. I drink what is leftover) And I took a big drink of it, Well I ended up with this 2" piece of rubber in my mouth. That was the shape of a capsule.  It was in the bottom of the bottle. I immediately called coke and told them of this. It didn't take very long for someone higher up than the person I was speaking with, to call me back.  She proceeded to tell me about there stringent practices and what the bottles go through before they are filled and what they go through after they are filled. She then told me that sometimes people get their capsules into the bottles without them even knowing about it.That it could not of come from them. But they sent me a box to ship the product back to them for testing. She said I should try an experiment. Put one of my capsules into a glass of water and see if it grows to that size. Well I did that and it has been three days and it is still not the size of the of the item found in the bottle of coke. I called to let them know that. I have the coke bottle with the stuff in it. But once it hit air, it has been dissolving Doesn't look like anything anymore. I think I need to call someone closer to home. .  

Okay one more thing. There is this women whom I have been texting, I miss her.

GOD bless and good night

Kristopher Schmuland

I do have to know

Hello again

The manager seems to think that I am completely oblivious to the fact my mother has dementia and has had strokes. I do feel and know this. My mother needs someone to be strong around her. I am that person. I watch her decline, I watch her not being able to chew and swallow properly. To walk, speak and everything else that is happening to mom.

Since the roommate moved in, mom's chewing and swallowing has been getting worse. Even for her to eat the pureed foods that are the served dinners, is difficult for her. It is just mush and it takes her a very long time to even chew this. Let alone the dinner I serve her.

If this keeps up, I will have to stop bringing her meals. I just don't have the time to feed her. When I say this, it is not me being mean or anything like that.

I only have so much time each day. And I just can't feed her for two hours. There are other things that need to be done in the evening. Get her undressed and into her nightgown. And when she is in bed, the nightly spa treatment she looks forward to each night.

Even I arrived early, The served dinner is not ready until after 5 pm. I would have to arrived at 4 pm to get things done. As she needs something to drink. This alone takes 15 minutes or so.  And mom is in a hurry to have this done.

I can honestly say, mom rushing me is getting on my nerves. I hate to be rushed. I do understand my mother has this progressive disease. But she has to wait. I can only go so fast. I need to unpack everything. Get the plates, cutlery and other things set up for dinner. Give her something small while she waits for dinner.

Even me asking her to wait, doesn't work. She wants it now. I mean now. Then she is taking for ever to finish a single bite. of food. Yes it is her disease.

But mom will take a break while chewing and I think she is ready for more food. Not so. Just taking a break. Let me put this in perspective for you. A piece of avocado, soft. would take you or I less than a minute to chew it and swallow it. Mom on the other hand takes more than 2 minutes to chew and swallow this.

Okay. Yes it is getting on my nerves, but I am not going to do anything about it, except to continue to ask her to swallow. This is the progression that mom is experiencing.

This is also another stage of her progression in her journey with dementia. But as I suspect it it just mom being stressed out and tired because of the roommate.

As mentioned in other blog posts, mom is like this whenever she is really tired. And mom is always tired since the roommate moved in.

We have no privacy. This alone is causing problems for mom.

Well another blog post done.

Other than this, mom is doing well. Tired, but OK. She is also fighting me to get her changed at night. She becomes very stiff and it is hard to get her shirts off. I have to keep repeating the word RELAX over and over again. I know she is just trying to help. But I am saying to her. Just relax and let me do the work for you. It is easier for me to do this for you mom. Just relax your arms.



GOD bless and good night.


Kristopher Schmuland.

Ah Monday. Great start to the week

Hello again

Yes it is a great start to the week. But I am still waking up at 4 am. I have no idea why this is happening and has been happening for the last 5 days. Not sleeping well. This morning I even woke up over an hour before my alarm and was wondering why my alarm did not go off. I got up, did my morning ritual and then, and only then, did I realize it was very early. I even showered. So I laid down for an hour. Didn't sleep, but my eye's were closed. I rested a bit.

When my alarm did finally go off, I was already for the day. Showered, had my morning smoke long before this, my tea was made.

I just made some needed phone calls. There was allot more that I could of done. But I was to lazy. OK. I am a procrastinator. And I did it again this morning. I want to write a crowdfunding letter. I am half way there, but not done. I want to finish a letter to a long lost love. I finished it, but now I need to write it out. Cursively. Pen and paper. I really want to send this off. I am a little afraid though.
All the if's........

Anyways, I just did what I could this morning. Watched what I didn 't finish watching last night. Was hopping this women would test me. But didn't. To bad though.

Off I went. A little early. But oh well. When I arrived in White Rock I just went to a park and tanned a little bit. Trying to get rid of this farmers tan.

Then I was there on time.

Tonight mom did eat all of her dinner. And was calm. So after dinner it was easy for me to change her for bed and give her the nightly spa treatment. She didn't want her legs done tonight. Mom was just relaxing and listening to the music. I could see this, as she had this contented look on her face. As any of us would look like if we were listening to music that relaxed us. Peaceful.

I just let her be, held her hand. And enjoyed the music with her. It was great.

And of course the packing up and getting everything ready for me to leave.
'
Gave mom her kiss goodnight and I left. I did miss the one bus. I was trying to get back at a certain time. I needed to go over to a friends house. Yes I said friend. To get a few things that he wants me to store while he is in California for a few months.

So I got back at 11:30 tonight and put a few things away. Will do the laundry in the morning.

And now I need to stop for the night. I have something I want to watch.

I need to pray yet. I usually pray right after I eat. Not tonight.

Now I will., when I am finished with writing this.

GOD bless and good night

Kristopher Schmuland

A nice and calm day

Hello again

So Sunday it is. What a day, the wind blowing gently. the sun shinning, but not so hot. All around a nice day. It is, however expected to get up to 38 in the next week or two. TO HOT!

I brought mom a nice chicken dinner with the extra`s, which I made. Mom enjoyed it. But it took her a little longer to chew her food. So by the time we were almost finished dinner the roommate was back. I never realized it, but mom did. The expression on her face changed. An expression of being interrupted, again..

I know mom and she just likes to have dinner in peace. Without the TV being so loud it is disturbing to others. Mom`s TV is not that loud. Neither of us need it that loud. So as soon as the roommate comes in, mom`s mood changes.

Mom is irritated. The peace she likes is now ruined.

I do understand it is the roommates room as well. But having to have the TV up that loud all the time. Every time I ask if I can lower the volume, it is up past 60. Her TV goes up to volume level 100

Mom`s TV is at volume level 24 and that is to loud.

On to something different. OK not that much  different.

It was then just the usual.

I got mom ready for bed, She was then put into bed.

I went and washed the dishes

I came back and gave mom her nightly spa treatment.

This was done early and I just held her hand for a while

Tonight mom was singing along with the songs and me. I tried to dance with her a bit. She likes that.

Mom does look at me a little weird though. From all of my goofing off. And singing to her. The way that I do. Having fun.

Yes I try to make her laugh as much as possible. If that means singing and dancing. Goofing around. Then so be it. As long as it makes her smile and laugh.

That is all that matters.

The only thing I have to say about myself. Is nothing has changed. I still have what I have and I am in still the same amount of pain. I am forgetting to eat. I had someone who would remind me, but that is that. No more.

So I am still doing what it is I need to do. But failing at most of my attempts.

I have to stop this for now.

For the last 3 nights I have woken up at 4 am and could not fall back to sleep. I have just laid there. Trying to sleep.

GOD bless and good night. I ask that you continue to pray for mom and I and send us your support. What ever that means to you.


Kristopher Schmuland