The Sandwich Parent - Week Two

Didn't we just have this conversation? These are the words that I have been using more often lately. Both my Father and Daughter are asking repeated questions and I am in demand.
The good news is that my Father is beginning to understand and possibly accept that he is experiencing memory loss. He admits that he is forgetting things but is also quick to point out that this happens to everyone! My Father has been a very private person all of his life, and in the past he would have never answered any inquiries. Today he is more receptive and the answers I am seeking are coming without too much effort. While he has expressed gratitude in the past, when he says thank you now - it just has a very special and sincere tone to it. Last week was a very busy as I spent my time securing appointments with a neurologist, a geriatric psychologist and an estate planning/elder care attorney. Now I just need to convince my Father that he needs to go to these appointments.
As I have tried to learn more about Blogging, I have discovered the WSJ Health Blog.http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/09/22/macarthur-genius-award-reducing-falls-in-the-elderly/ This is an interesting article about the multiple diseases elderly people encounter.
My Daughter is doing well. It doesn't matter how little or how much I do for her - the way she says thank you has really touched me. It's sweet and sincere and I appreciate it!
Until next time.....

The Sandwich Parent

Yes, I have become my father's parent and will always be my children's parent. I have heard about the Sandwich Parent - and now I am living it! No I am not talking about preparing a "roasted turkey, provolone, hold the mayo on sourdough" sandwich. I am talking about picking up where your parent has stopped thinking and doing for themselves. I am talking about the joy in a young teen-age daughter that has discovered boys. Yes these are the two slices of life's sandwich that I will be managing for a while. It's strange how things suddenly change - as Sheldon would say "Bazinga!"

The early signs of dementia have now advanced into a more serious condition and my father's diagnosis has a name: Binswanger's Disease. This disease is also known as subcortical vascular dementia. I found The Dementias: Hope Through Research website helpful. Basically, my father has erratic behavior and a severe case of forgetfulness. But he also has normal and clear thinking days. To help him with his confusion, I immediately purchased a very large Alzheimer's clock that showcases the month, date, day and time. It is battery operated and my father is quite pleased that he can move it room to room and never be without this information.

Now on the opposite side of my sandwich is my 13 year old daughter's giddy and giggly world of discovering boys. Her recent boy crush has already invaded my wallet with the cost overages of text messages. To my daughter's delight, an immediate change to our family cell phone plan was done. In her world there is less worry about usage and more laughter about texting privileges.

I want to thank you for reading my blog and any advice you would like to share would be appreciated. It was a satisfying week one of Sandwich Parenting.