Ch.43. Mornings Can be Unpredictable.
I sense the unpredictability caused by Lewy Body disruptions frequently in our mornings together.
Morning routines have always been important to me. I particularly appreciate the pleasant patterns we’ve developed over the years. I’d wake up first, let the cat and the dogs out, go feed the horse, return to bed and read a novel, drink coffee. Pat would gradually awaken, I’d bring her coffee, then I’d make a light breakfast (usually yogurt and a slice of cinnamon toast) which Pat and I would share with our Chow Chow Franklin, and finally we’d shower together and dress for the day.
Lewy body dementia has one outstanding characteristic, though, namely fluctuations. You just cannot expect routines to be followed consistently. So now our mornings have become less predictable. Perhaps Pat will gradually awaken, but she might not have the energy to do so until later in the morning. Maybe Pat will want breakfast, but perhaps she will prefer to wait until noon to eat. (Diminished appetite and weight loss are common aspects of Lewy Body Dementia.)
Let me add here that I am responsible for some changes in our morning routine as well, and I think these changes are also partly the effects that Lewy Body has had on our lives. I often wake up at night worrying and sometimes that makes me more irritable in the mornings. I do take a minor anti-anxiety agent every day and lately I’ve tried to make sure I take it as soon as I awaken.
Pat’s comments on Mornings Can be Unpredictable.
I think these morning changes bother Ron more than they do me. It has not once seemed to me that I should be taking this pill for him.