With Patti’s recent peak in memory and cognition skills we rolled the dice and let her choose her own movie on Sunday. Reading her the options she chose "Constantine" starring Keanu Reeves as a kind of supernatural detective. Patti not only enjoyed herself, she never lost interest. I probably would not have chosen that for her so it was fortunate to include her in planning.
MS is however a never ending struggle across many functions. Positives in one area such as recent memory and cognition can lull you into being bushwhacked by problems in other areas with Patti’s level of disability. Fortunately the outing included a stop by her parent’s home which has an accessible shower. Experience has taught me to always be prepared. I always carry a backpack with a change of clothes, Depends, etc. A bowel accident in transit necessitated a shower and change of Depends and clothes.
A caregiver’s physical strength and accessible facilities are obvious factors in this simple situation involved in a Sunday outing. Not every friend or family member has the physical strength or is comfortable enough to change and shower Patti. Nor does every one build their plans around proximity to an accessible facility. It is these realities that shrink Patti’s world to the necessity of a care facility.
Days like today MS seems cruel when rare positives are matched by one of the more disruptive of symptoms. It fuels the “madness in my soul” that fights this fight.
Despite the mishap I am glad Patti enjoyed the movie and was able to stay with it all the way through.
ReplyDeleteJack wears a exterior cathater which can develop a leak at worst times. Carrying everything because a pain, but a blessing when necessity calls. And definately decrease his embarassment with the situation.
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