You Guess Is As Good As Mine

[poliphilo]

The carer arrives a little earlier than usual and my mother keeps her waiting while she pours herself another cup of tea and drinks it. I read this as bloody minded self assertion; Ailz reads it as an inability to deviate from routine.

"Are you happy to have Lauren stand here watching you drink that cup of tea?" I ask, trying not to explode.

""No." Says my mother, "But what else can I do?"

Comments

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Indeed, but it could be that your mother is showing the first early signs of Alzheimers and you have to forgive people in that situation because they are literally not the people they once were. Being unable to deviate from routine would be a symptom.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It hasn't been diagnosed as such but I'm sure she has Alzheimers. We try to keep things ticking over normally- as if nothing were the matter- but things are very far from normal.