Mixed carbs

Trying to remember 5 days ago and drawing a blank - that's a bit rubbish! Er... 

Wednesday

I think F and I watched a film, but I can't think what else we did. Think we looked at some history in GP book, but can't think what we did before that. Oh, she had saved up for a ponyville building and that came, so I guess she spent a long time with that upstairs. Yes, it's all coming back to me now. She did some film making with her Flip outside too, and had a bath with a hot chocolate. A lazy home day basically.

Thursday
F continued to play with ponies, make Flip movies and show them to ponies and then we went to Home-Ed Drama - I went with F for first time - her 3rd week but first time I've been able to get along. Although she's enjoying it to an extent, I'm looking at alternatives as it's not as good, for her, as the one she was doing last year, in some ways. Also it would be nice to be doing it in Lewes again, to be able to walk there.

After drama, we went to the Phoenix to see an exhibition called Pigment and Light - which we got quite a lot from, mainly about colour and what colours make us think of and feel. Then we finished up with a hot chocolate in a coffee shop before getting the bus back. Texted with J on way back and we were both very much agreed that a takeaway was required. We watched The Truman Show, was very nice to be watching something a bit less Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks with F - she'd heard C talking about it and wanted to watch it so we'd got it specially. Good film. I love Jim Carrey, I know not many do.

Friday

I finished a bit of work (January has been rubbish, so March pay will be crap). Then headed over to Maidstone on train to see my mum and accompany her to an appointment at The Memory Clinic there. She hadn't managed to tell me what her letter said, over the phone, so after a few frustrating attempts I had given up asking. It turned out to be a post-diagnosis counselling appointment! The sight of which phrase made my heart sink, as you need to be able to remember your diagnosis in order to receive counselling, you'd think. 

Anyway, the guy doing it was lovely and he retested mum and she scored slightly higher than when she was in hospital but still got day, date and month wrong, claiming it was 20th September - at some points she does know the date but it wanders off quickly and she then makes it up with complete confidence. Very hard to find strategies that work with short-term memory loss. I definitely think a large digital clock with day and date on would help - would have to be placed somewhere where she just saw it frequently without trying, e.g. next to telly and another one by bed. Will try and sort that next time I go.

The other test she can't do is remembering three words for 10 minutes. Unsurprisingly. But she did know place names, Prime Minister, etc. It's the short-term stuff that's a problem, because it changes.

Anyway they gave us lots of bumpf and talked a bit, but there's really not much to be done with vascular dementia, which does seem to be what mum has. He did say exercise is good, mental stimulation can help, etc. But only delaying the pretty much inevitable further decline, etc. Which I knew, having Googled. Mum blanked it out and focused on other things, so not distressed at all. She is in good spirits. We popped to a shop afterwards and got nice treaty food to have for dinner. We watched a lot of Downton Abbey - I gave her the DVDs for Christmas but I don't think she's managing the DVD player so has to wait till I'm there.

I stayed overnight and slept really well, often I don't there, but was really comfortable with a stack of pillows stopping me coughing (have had a cough for a week or so).

Saturday

Watched more Downton Abbey with mum, did a crossword with her and waited till her Ocado shopping came (had managed to get late afternoon Saturday slot for her). Then set off for what turned out to be very long journey home, due to engineering works and my misguided attempts to outthink the rail replacement buses. Unadvisable. I did see a minor celebrity from Big Brother though, so was able to report that into my BB forum site, complete with picture! 

Was soooo lovely to get home and be with J and F (F in bed but had a quick welcome home cuddle). J made me a big cup of tea. Relaxed.

Sunday

Relaxation and a funny dinner made up of leftover bits that wouldn't make a dinner on their own. F looked at her plate and said 'this is a lot of different carbohydrates!' as she's recently looked at food, nutrition, etc. She was right - there was pasta salad, a few chips and a couple of slices of garlic bread! Still, alright for a cold Sunday when there's not much else in the house!

After F had gone to bed, J and I caught up on recent episodes of Fringe and a QI.

Really need to blog more often again as I know I've missed a few things I wanted to mention - F's vocabulary was one, some examples I liked but they have vanished from my brain now.