Pushing Patti by the staff break area in route to our van …
Patti: “Sometimes my hearing is too good. I can hear them talking about … (pause)”
Patrick: “Well super spy, talking about what?”
Patti: “I don’t know I forgot.”
What can you do but both start laughing.
Memory loss, impaired reasoning, and cognitive decline with Multiple Sclerosis, and I suspect any disease, spawns a range of emotions.
Loss of a self-directed life is just not something we teach. More likely we deny.
Of course then again Multiple Sclerosis is never predictable. Laughing itself may trigger a perfect storm of MS symptoms from emotional lability, pseudobulbar affect, and scanning speech to dysphagia.
Driving along in the van we are listening to a CD by Flight of the Conchords. By the first refrain of their song “Mutha ‘Uckas” Patti is laughing so hard she starts crying then can’t even talk and then starts one of her I-know-I-am-not-choking-but-it-sure-feels-like-it episodes.
Ever try to calm or distract someone when dealing with hysterically infectious laughter? You both only end up laughing harder.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis and caregiving is serious business, there is no doubt about that. Too much time is mired in the details. The details, problems, and pressures can swallow you, or in other words …
“Too many mutha uckasUckin' with my shi-
How many mutha uckas?Too many to count”
Related entries
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer
web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer
they do say laughter is the best medicine, whoever they are
ReplyDeletebetty
This is toooooo funnnny!!! I needed this!
ReplyDeletePatti cracks me up sometimes when no one else can. I hope you guys are doing great. We need to catch up sometime soon.
Jackie
BamaWmn
Betty, yes Patti too is fond of those 'they' people except she usually adds an expletive to the phrase "whoever the (blank)'they' are" :)
ReplyDeleteJackie, always good to hear from you and glad we could share a laugh!
ReplyDeleteI don't have much left to say... I thought I would retain a little more than "thanks," but for now, THANKS for sharing your thoughts, and now I must click the "Follow" button or you may vanish forever!
ReplyDeleteLorraine