Finally, a slow week. Little to report. Monday I went up to New York to see him - an overnight trip this time, so I was able to visit for dinner, the way I used to. He was relatively cheerful but also energetic and driven - working very hard to figure out his living arrangements, and he had clearly decided that he wanted to move south to Brooklyn/Washington so he could work for me in my business and re-enlist in the Coast Guard. He vocalized about that for two or three hours, then fell hard asleep - the brink-of-death kind of sleep where the jaw drops down onto his chest and nothing can wake him. I hung out for an hour or so to see if there was any change, but there wasn't, so I left.
The next couple of nights I talked with him by phone and the raving continued. Wednesday night he went on at length about people who were breaking into the apartment, and could I see what they were doing? (I think he was reacting to television images) and should he call the police about them? I tried to draw him out - what did they seem to be doing? Did he think it was dangerous? I was able to keep the conversation going for about a half hour and then I misstepped and said something that wasn't appropriate to whatever he'd told me. As usual, the words and thoughts were a jumble and I had no idea what he'd told me, so I was dealing somewhat blind. He sounded annoyed and hung up quickly. It must be incredibly frustrating to him that most of the time he can't make himself understood. Even when the conversation sounds more normal, I wonder how often he gets the sense that people are just playing along.
No progress this week on the financial front - my wife has requested an appointment with her agency's ethics office, so we can figure out the precise, specified procedure we have to follow to set fire to his money. But the request is pending and clearly it'll spill over 'til next week. Much as I'd like to crash ahead (well, part of me, anyway), I'm sticking to plan and won't request a nursing home application 'til after we get our answer.
I've clearly made one decision - it's going to be Nursing Home 4. I'm sure that's been obvious from other recent posts, but since I haven't said it in so many words, there it is. The answer's been clear ever since D told me about the problems her client had at Nursing Home 3. Nursing Home 4 was the other contender, and it was clearly emerging as the leader even before I heard her story. That was the clincher and Nursing Home 4 will be the official choice just as soon as I call them to request the forms. That might happen next week, or it might slip 'til after Labor Day.
So, in all, a typical late-summer slowdown. I'll take it. I wasn't planning a vacation, so an Alzheimer's lull will have to do. And that's fine. I know well enough from past experience that every slowdown ends in some kind of explosion or other. And the next task is to get him admitted and moved, so the explosions are going to be big ones. I'll hang loose and try to get ready, because it won't be long, and the fall is going to be memorable. More soon.
Comments