You take the good and the bad....

Birthday wishes go out to Bob’s brother Ronnie this week. Happy Birthday and we wish you many more.

It’s been a quiet week for Bob. The weather as you all know got cold for a few days. I had planned on taking Bob with us to a hike that Sarah had at the park. Bob wasn’t going on the hike with her, but I would sit and let him see parts of the park while she was on her hike. It was just too cold for him to go. I wound up taking Sarah to the hike and I sat in the car and worked on some paper work I needed doing. Rob stayed home with his dad.

Rob had a few old friends drop by for a short visit this week. They were down escaping the cold weather of the north. Bob didn’t remember them. His memory is getting worse, but there are other things that are improving. His new medication seems to be agreeing with him. He has been working on word searches. That is a fabulous sign. We have not needed to encourage him at all. He also has been asking to get on the bike and exercise. We have not needed to force him on the bike.

He had some trouble remembering who Ronnie, his brother, was this week. I took a card to him to sign so we could send it for his birthday. When he first signed the card he put “PoP”. I told him Ronnie didn’t call him that and he needed to change the “P’s” to “B’s”. He got a little upset and told me that Ronnie did indeed call him “Pop”. I was confused at this and asked him who Ronnie was. He told me that Ronnie was his son from his first wife Phyllis. Oh, Dear.

When I finally got through to him that Ronnie was his brother, and then we went through the family tree again, he realized his mistake. He changed the letters and fixed the card. I then sat and talked with him about the family and his children and close family members. He had a hard time remembering his second wife “Joan”. This is the first time we have seen a memory loss of close family members. Rob and I talked and are now going to make it a priority to bring Joan and his immediate family up in conversation regularly.

So while some things have improved, there have been other areas to decline. We have to take the good and the bad. He is having more better days since the new medicaion. He is much happier, and not as withdrawn as normal. He asks now in the morning what the schedule is and if we are doing anything. He remembers if he is suppose to call him, or he is to return a call. These are all very good things.

I know you all encourage him to work puzzles, and exercise. Keep encouraging him. He loves hearing from you all. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers this week.