DEMENTIA CHRONICLES
Today’s Weather Calls for Screaming With a Chance of Slap
It could be worse.
My days revolve around my mom’s mental status. She still lives alone at 94 — not because that’s best for her, but because there’s no arguing with her and she’s not (completely) incompetent. She’s the same as she always was — a bitch.
When I was little, she ran over a kitten with our station wagon. I was, of course, hysterical, and I’m still traumatized by it 50 years later.
My mom was mad that I didn’t want to go to the library anymore. I ruined her plans for the day.
My parents never socialized. My dad had some farmer friends and my mom knew people at church, but they never came to our house and my parents never went anywhere.
But I still take care of my mom, because that’s what you’re supposed to do.
Or at least, I try to take care of my mom. I’ve mastered weekend cooking, so that’s going better after whittling our choices down to a few standard meals that she’ll eat.
Right now, something’s going on with her blood pressure medication. Pills are mysteriously appearing where pills should not appear. I thought I got them away from her the first time this…
