The anti-pill...

It's looking to be another fine evening in this Alzheimer's infected household.  Mom hasn't been to bed in almost 37 hours. 

We tried to get her to sleep last night, but that was an overwhelming failure.  She had her sleeping pill about 9:00 last night, just like always.  She was up and down until 10, which is when she started staggering.  So, I went in and sat with her to make sure that she didn't fall.  And fought with her for almost 5 and a half hours.  Usually I listen to about 5 songs on Pandora and she's out.  Last night, my phone battery pooped out and Mom didn't. 

It almost seemed like she had taken an anti-pill.  That's my way of saying that she did just the opposite of everything that she is supposed to do. She took a sleeping pill, she was wide awake.  She was supposed to lie down, she kept getting up.  She had a drink of water, she wanted more.  She wanted anything that wasn't what she was supposed to have or do. 

When I left her room at 3:30, I laid in the living room on the couch watching for her.  She was up and down until I fell asleep at 4.

Joy of joys, she was up for the day by 6.  She came out dressed in a shirt of my dad's that I hadn't seen since he passed 15 years ago. She wandered around the house for several hours looking for her shoes.  She tried to take mine.  Off of my feet.  She's been agitated all day.  She says that she needs to go!  She sat quietly on the couch for about an hour this afternoon but she was never drowsy.  We had the doors blocked because she wanted out.  The girls and I were sitting in the living room, Mom had walked away and we continued chatting.  Suddenly, someone was banging on the door, yelling, "Your Mom!"  I went running outside and Mom was 3 doors up the street.  The neighbor had seen Mom get out and came running over. So much for blocked doorways and thank God for good neighbors.

It's almost 8 and Mom is still in panic mode.  I don't see her calming down anytime soon.  She keeps trying for the back door.  She rarely stays agitated this long and never without sleep.  I feel like I have a fussy baby who has a full belly and whose diaper is dry.  I would try to take her for a ride to calm her down but she's too heavy to bring in from the car.