Roberto

Oh, man...the fun just keeps coming.  I went by to see mom yesterday afternoon but first stopped off to say hi to the Nurse Manager and another employee.  According to the NM, mom had had sort of a tough day and I asked in what way.  She said she had seen mom on her way to get her hair done and mom was "cold" so she told mom she'd be warm in a minute when she got to the elevator--mom was in the lobby with the big front door.  She said mom was just not perky at all.

Then mom started tearing up talking about "Roberto"....and the NM asked me who that was.  I told her that was my dad, Bob, or Robert.  Her face just sank, as did my heart.  She said when she asked mom who it was, all mom said was "love...love...".

 I went on my way down the hall and into mom's room.  Still in bed from her nap, I crawled up on her bed and chatted.  When I ran out of things to talk about I asked her about "Roberto".  I asked her "were you talking about my dad, Bob?" and she said "no".  She said this man was "beautiful....handsome..." and she teared up and said "he's in my head...I see him..."  When I asked her if she loved him she yelled "YES" and I told her I knew him, and loved him, too.  (Mom speaks Spanish to everyone over there so I was not surprised she referred to dad as Roberto.) 

Since that was going to make us both cry, I switched gears and we played "Do you remember?"  I asked her all the people I knew she would remember, and we ended up laughing our heads off.  Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to live in your head all the time, in the past, the way Alzheimer patients do?  If you had a really fun and happy childhood and past, it might be kind of fun.  If not, maybe you just create a good one??  I don't know.

Now, I don't want to close on a sad or poignant note so here's what else I found out yesterday.  When the staff person came to get mom up to her wheel chair, she told me that when she first opened the door, she thought I was a resident, since I had my back to her.  Shuuuuud up and quit laughing....  Anyway, she said some times when she comes in, another resident will have crawled up in bed with mom, and sometimes will lie down beside her.  I knew exactly who she was referring to--it's mom's next door neighbor.  So sweet.... it made me walk out smiling.