June update

He has been confusing days lately, saying it's Monday when it's Friday, and saying that he just went to the memory clinic yesterday, when it was days ago.

While taking a MOCA test for an Alzheimer's Music Study, Rob was asked what month it was. First, he said May, then he corrected himself, and said June (which it was). But then he corrected himself again and said confidently - no, it is July.

He scratched up his glasses while working in the garden, but I told him he had coverage in his work benefits to get a new pair of glasses. But he insisted that no one knows how much coverage he has except Sunlife Insurance, and they aren't telling. I told him it was in his benefit's book, and on their website, we could just look it up, but he got really agitated so I gave up.

We finally sold his car. When the people came to look at it, he was removing his license plate, and it wasn't coming off easily. He completely ignored them, and their questions and offers to help, and kept going in and out of the house to try different tools. When they came back to pick up the car the next day, he wouldn't come out to sign the ownership papers. He seemed happy otherwise to sell the car.

Last week, before his day program, he went up to take his shower. He was in an OK mood. I don't know what happened, but he came back down yelling at the dogs, refusing to speak to me, and would not let me walk him up to the day program when I dropped him off. He also didn't take his guitar, and he always takes his guitar.

I've realized that since Rob went on his meds, we have been able to have conversations again. Today was so frustrating, he misunderstood almost everything I would say.
Example: He wants to donate some of his clothing and asked about Rose of Durham. He said, aren't they on Simcoe Street? I said do you mean Simcoe House. He says no, I am talking about Rose of Durham. I said no, that's for teen moms. So, he says, I need to look up teen moms. I said, no, Rose of Durham is for teen moms, they are not accepting men's clothing. I said, Simcoe House will probably accept them. So, I should call Rose of Durham then, he says.

Rob is sorting things and leaving piles everywhere. First it was his CDs, leaving piles all over the office, living room and dining room. Then sorting thru his clothing, wanting to give away all the new items I had bought him that fit him properly, and keeping the old raggedy items that hang on him due to weight loss. Stacks of clothing all over the bedroom. Now he is sorting thru old photos, leaving them all over the office and living room.

I wonder if others are starting to notice his lack of empathy. The past few times while talking to his brother, his brother was expressing how difficult his life was with his wife who has had several strokes, is confined to bed, and unable to care for herself, how he has to get up at 5 am to prepare her for the day before he goes to work, and how he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. Rob will interrupt him to tell him about his day program, his gardening, etc. I have noticed him doing that to his parents and sister as well. But it really stood out to me listening to his brother struggling to cope.