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Alzheimer's

Thu, 07/16/2009 - 20:21
annerobertson2

Thinking Backwards

I haven't been to see Mother in ages. The dog is dying and I can't leave him more than three hours at a time and a visit takes 7-8. Work has been over the top with our bicentennial celebrations and it's my busy time of the year with my preaching schedule.

And yet in some ways I don't feel like I've been absent. Because I have had to assume guardianship, months and months of time have been consumed working on her behalf. All that made me wonder if that's how she and my father felt in our growing up years.

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Sat, 05/09/2009 - 07:00
annerobertson2

Mother's Day 2009

So tomorrow is Mother's Day. I have a lengthy church speaking gig, so I will not be with Mother. And because of the rift with my stepfather, I now have very mixed feelings about going on days when he is likely to be there.

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Sun, 03/15/2009 - 07:00
annerobertson2

Shut Out

It's been quite awhile since I've posted, but not for want of activity. Things have been over the top in issues surrounding Mother's care, but they have been issues with another family member so I am not at liberty to write about them in a public blog. At such a time, I hope that Mother is as unaware as she seems. She was always so precise and organized, especially on financial matters, that she would have a cow if she understood.

In any case, I will only say that I am now the guardian of her estate. We'll leave it there.

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Thu, 01/15/2009 - 07:00
annerobertson2

The Cold

It's a new year and a lot colder. I didn't go up to New London on Christmas. How do you not visit your mother on Christmas? I don't know. But I didn't. Neither did I go anywhere else. I stayed home and played World of Warcraft with a friend in Atlanta.

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Mon, 11/24/2008 - 07:00
annerobertson2

Thanksgiving-2008

Okay, so she looks ornery. Like you don't want to be slow with her turkey. But unlike so many Alzheimer's sufferers, she has never had that mean streak take over. Although you can't tell that from this picture.

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Tue, 11/11/2008 - 07:00
annerobertson2

The Distance

Yes, I know it's been a long time. As I missed two book deadlines (the manuscript is finally done and submitted--thank you, God), and work was insanely busy, the stress of feeling I should be making the long trek north to see Mother combined with the work disasters looming should I take that time pretty much shut me down. Combine that with the memory that the last time I was there she slept through the entire visit, and I ended up deciding to get the work done at home.

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Thu, 08/28/2008 - 16:22
annerobertson2

Sleep Well

I visited Mother last Sunday afternoon before heading to an event with Rob and Stephanie. "Visit" of course is a relative term with her, and Sunday it was even more so.

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Sat, 08/16/2008 - 07:00
annerobertson2

The Clough Center

With a week-long preaching gig in New Hampshire, I was only a little over an hour away from Mother's new home at the Clough Center in New London, NH. So, on the day I had off, I headed north with a friend from the Dover church.

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Tue, 07/22/2008 - 07:00
annerobertson2

The Next Chapter

Well, Rob and I did visit Mother a couple of weeks ago. There isn't all that much to report from that. She was in a new room at The Birches, a shared room with another resident. But the shared rooms at The Birches are very nice. A full wall separates the beds with a common living area. All her things were moved over, although the pictures weren't put back up on the wall since another move would be imminent.

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Sat, 06/14/2008 - 07:00
annerobertson2

For All the Saints

I am catching up with my posting today (this is my third this morning) by ignoring my other responsibilities. I'm in a hotel room in northern Mass. where I stay during the Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church in New England. It's a required gathering for UMC clergy with business and worship and learning experiences stretching over four days.

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