Who are you?

I flew into Vegas on Thursday the 17th.  None of my family members were available to pick me up from the airport so I had to get an UBER to take me to my parents' home.  It was an interesting experience and not cheap!  It cost almost $100 for that ride, but it was cheaper than having to rent a car that I wold not use for five days.

 

This trip to Vegas was quite nice.  Rick was planning to make the drive after church on Sunday which would have gotten him there late Sunday evening.  As it was, he had to drive down to Panguitch on Friday to look at some roads in Garfield County so he decided not to go back up north but to drive over to Vegas from there.  He stayed in Kanab Friday night and then attended the 'Balloons and Tunes' Festival in Kanab on Saturday morning.  He loved it!  I wish I could have seen it with him.  He made it to Vegas Saturday afternoon.  I was so thankful that he came a day earlier than expected.  It is always so wonderful to have him around.  He is a good conversationalist and spends good quality time with my parents.  He rubs my dad's legs and neck, scratches his back, helps him shower.  (Along with bringing in the wood and keeping the fire going, and helping me in the kitchen at dinnertime and the really difficult task of sleeping on the couch during the night to be there to help my dad when he can't sleep).

 I love him so much for his compassion and love for my parents!

Before he got there, on Friday morning I took my mom and dad on a ride down the strip.

My dad hadn't been down there for years and he (and I) couldn't believe how much it had changed.

I thought all of the hotels looked really cool!  I love how a lot of them have different themes.  Bellagio (Italian)  Caesars Palace (Roman) Paris (French) and New York (with the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge).  It was all very fascinating.  There were quite a few tourists walking around and even saw a few showgirls walking the streets.  It was an enjoyable drive and I think my parents enjoyed getting out of the house.

My mom's memory seems to be getting a little worse.  She can still have conversations, but her short term memory is really off.  She will ask the same question over and over in just a five minute time span.  It can get a little wearisome but I just try to keep it all in perspective.  A LOT of repeating myself over and over.

She has forgotten some of her aunts and uncles.  Even telling her their names and explaining where they belong, she cannot recall them.  

She gets emotional quite often and really hates to get in the shower.  She cries just about every time she has to get in.  It all seems so overwhelming to her.  Even changing her clothes is difficult for her.  Sometimes, she will look at me and say, "Am I okay?" or "Things don't feel right." I try to reassure her that all is well but it is heartbreaking to see her confusion and fear.  Through all of this she is very grateful and appreciative of me (and Rick) being there.

  

She tells us many times a day, "I'm so grateful that you are here." 

 It is really sweet.😊

I know that Alzheimers patients can get combative but my mom is not that way.  She is very sweet and loving.  I hope she will always be like that.

While I was turning down her bed the other night she said, Thank you, Mandy."  I turned and looked at her and said, "I'm not Mandy."  She looked at me with a confused look on her face and said, "Who are you?" 

My heart skipped a beat. 

 I said, Who am I?  I'm your daughter, Janell."  She smiled and said, "Well yes, you are Janell!"

That has never happened before.  Sometimes she'll confuse my name with Deanna's, but she has never not recognized me.  I try not to think about that too much because it hurts.  I'm going to take every minute that she can recognize me and know who I am.

On Sunday, after Boyd came to help administer the Sacrament, we went out for a Sunday drive.  We were headed out to Calville Bay but decided to turn north instead of south when we got to the junction off of Lake Mead Blvd.  We drove over past Boulder Beach and over to the Hoover Dam.  It was really cool.  We didn't get to see much because Mom and Dad can't get out of the car but we did stop to take a look at the lake and dam from the AZ side.  Rick took a couple of pictures of us.  These are the only pictures of our time there.  I really need to be better at taking pictures.

It was super windy but it was sure fun looking over the lake.  You can see in the picture just how far down the lake is.  This drought seems ever ongoing.  This dam has been such a blessing bringing water and power to so many communities.  

We left yesterday afternoon and will be staying in St. George for a few days before getting back home.

It was nice being with my mom and dad and will plan to come back each month to help in their care.