They say Confucius does his crossword with a pen

Today is busy. Yet I feel a draw to blog. My Sweetie’s grandfather has been going downhill for a while, yet I thought he was doing well. While he did repeat himself over the weekend, he seemed to be doing fine. Last night just as MIL was leaving for the second time that day (she took Grandpa home and then returned for more conversation), I received a call on my cell. I did not make it in time and saw the number was from her house (Grandpa lives with her). This was odd because he normally calls the house first. Not to mention that he has never called my cell. While I waited to see if a voicemail was left, my Sweetie’s cell phone rang. He asked to speak to MIL. He was suffering from a sort of dementia. He was asking about MIL’s mom. She passed away over 6 years ago. We could hear the conversation because my Sweetie accidentally hit the loudspeaker option. He kept saying that he could not find MIL’s mom, he just wanted to know where she was, and that she was not home. After some big hugs, she headed home to him. When she got home, he asked her again and she had to explain that his wife has been gone for over 6 years. He was not upset, but confused why he was looking for her. He said he thought she was working late and was worried because she would normally call. MIL is scared and frustrated. He stays home alone during the day and has a vehicle. My Sweetie and I are worried that he will drive to the cemetery and experience another episode like this but try to go back to where they lived at the time that the episode dictates. MIL does not know what to do. I cannot blame her. All we can do is show her that we are there for her.

I did not intend for this post to be a downer. My Sweetie and I spoke at great lengths about this last night. It is very hard to watch someone you love deteriorate. The deaths in my family have been sudden and even the ones with older people have had their mental state in check. There was only one time with my Nanny that she did not recognize us, and that was at the end.

They say doing crossword puzzles and that kind of thing helps the brain. Luckily, while we give her a hard time about her age, my mom does many crossword puzzles and both mom and MIL find enjoyment in puzzle games. We all must remember that the brain is a muscle that needs exercise.