Dementia-Mama-Drama: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

I'm Famous... I Love It !!!

During one of our nightly visits, Douglass & I talked to Mama about our blog. We explained (again) to Mama that people from all over the world enjoy reading about her & love her videos. We read her a few comments & showed her some of her videos that we posted on YouTube...

Vin: Mama, what do you think about that? Everybody loves you!

Mama: I love it! I guess I'm finally famous.

Douglass: Did you always want to be famous?

Mama: I don't know, but when I was younger I wanted to be a movie star.

Douglass: So what happened?

Mama: Ahhh, it was too late!(she sighs) I would imitate all the stars, I was a "Creepy Jeep".

Vin: I never heard that word before. What's a "Creepy Jeep"?

Mama: Someone who doesn't know what she wants. So now you know what's a "Creepy Jeep".

Douglass: What do you think about the fact that some famous people are reading about you now?

Mama: Why would they be interested in me?

Vin: Don't you think that you're interesting?

Mama: Well I guess so. I have a beautiful career...

Vin: What? Whaddya mean a beautiful career?

Mama: You said I was famous. So, everybody loves me - that's my career. I have a beautiful career!

Douglass: Yes you do & you know that everybody loves you.

Mama: So, famous people may read about me & I read about them & thats all there is to it. Most of them have mansions & I can't even have my spaghetti & meatballs. So much for being famous.

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Does Anyone Hear Me?

Mama is sitting by the nurses station near her room. Douglass & I can see her as we walk down the hallway for our nightly visit. She is sitting in her wheelchair & is around a few other residents. There doesn't seem to be much conversation, only the energy that surrounds the nurses station. We say our hellos & she smiles & looks happy for a moment...

Mama: Get me the hell out of here! They're all dead in this place.

Douglass: You wanna go out to the garden to get some air & play some cards?

Mama: Yeah, anyplace where there's some kind of life! (I roll my eyes)

We wheel her down the hall towards the elevator to go to the garden downstairs. We pass by a few ladies that are in the hallway & Mama waves to them.

Mama: Hello. Hello ladies. I said HELLO! (No response from either of the ladies, just blank stares). What the hell is wrong with them? They can't even say hello? They're a bunch of morons in this damn place - especially that one with the fat ass.

Vin: Ssshh, they can hear you! They're standing right there.

Mama: To hell with them, I want them to hear me.

We get in the elevator & Douglass & I wonder if it's going to be a good night or a bad night. We wheel her out into the garden & it's beautiful & sunny outside.

Mama: Look at the sky, it's gonna rain.

Vin: It's sunny & clear.

Mama: It's gonna rain. My hands & legs are killing me, that means it's gonna rain.

Vin: Your hands & legs are always killing you & its not gonna rain.

Mama:(She burps loudly as she eats her Oreo). Ohhh, I'm sooo sorry, I'm such a pig. Oh my God, it's gonna rain tomorrow. Do you hear me?

Douglass: Yes Anna we hear you, everyone can hear you.(Douglass & I start to laugh).

Mama: Oh, good I got some laughs (she starts to laugh) hahahaa. I'm sooo funny, aren't I?

Then without a pause, she knows she has her audience & starts singing... "I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain. My hands & legs are killing me, but I'm singing in the rain"... She continues to laugh hysterically.

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Mother's Day Memories of Mama

This is the first Mother's Day without Mama. We will be remembering our mothers. We'll be together... but alone.

Douglass & I remember last Mother's Day & we laugh. We are lucky to have so many funny things that happened that didn't necessarily seem funny at the time, but do now.

It was tough to transport Mama from the nursing home & get her in the car so we could have her over for dinner. She was pretty much confined to the wheelchair, was overweight & needed both of us to get her in & out of the car. She would carry on & scream - scared & unable to stand on her own as we tried to maneuver her. We'd realize how silly the situation was & she'd start laughing hysterically & she would sometimes even wet herself. Okay, once I did too!

When we finally got her situated in the wheelchair, things got better, but then she'd constantly complain about her ass. "Oh, my ass is killing me, my ass is killing me". This would go on throughout the night. Once again, we had to crack up (no pun intended) because it was funny.

If you receive the blog through email you may be unable to view the above video, so here's the YouTube link: http://youtu.be/VphxCw6XILU

From the moment we picked her up she'd say "thank God, you're here... I'm starving." The "I'm starving" would continue until we ate. She'd sing nonstop - you couldn't shut her up! She would have a song for almost anything that we talked about. She would often say "Okay, enough singing, I'm wearing myself out. Besides my ass hurts & I want some coffee & cake. When are you gonna take me back? Oh my God, I'm exhausted."

Ever since I can remember, Mama would drop her food. It would land on her, on the table, on the floor but she would still continue shoveling in the food. Mother's Day was no different!

We'd keep her busy after dinner by playing cards, watching old musicals & making phone calls to family. Sometimes she didn't want to bother making the calls, other times she'd be very eager to hear familiar voices. Eventually we'd give in to Mama & she'd finally devour her "coffee & cake".

This year there won't be any presents for Mama. There won't be any special pasta dinner for Mama. There won't be the nonstop laughing or singing. There won't be the total exhaustion Douglass & I felt when we'd collapse on the couch after bringing Mama back to the nursing home & put her to bed. This year we don't have Mama, but we do have our memories of Mother's Day.