Lewy, Lewy! Oh baby! We gotta go!
(In my last ButtonDown - around Thanksgiving time, I said “I’ll tell you tomorrow” if putting that whatever-it-was-that-wasn’t-a-candy-roaster into the Kitchen Aid mixer got the strings out. It didn’t. What did do the trick was putting the pulp into the food processor, which actually pulverized all those strings. The pies looked funny, but tasted great.)
The first Friday of December, I had my complete neuro exam with a doctor who came up from South Carolina, as WNC has no such practice here. I spent five hours in her office, and although it was interesting and even at times fun, the prognosis is not good. She diagnosed me with Lewy Body dementia, which my good doctor here had suspected, and the local-ish neurologist referred me for.
Check it out: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=louie%20louie%20song
No, seriously - here it is: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lewy-body-dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352025
Of all the listed symptoms, only one seems to apply to me 100% - cognitive problems. And, although I don’t think or feel like I’m depressed, the neurologist prescribed an antidepressant. I don’t feel any different now than before I started taking it; go figure.
Sooooo - what other fun things have happened since that last ButtonDown?
1. I had a fabulous Thanksgiving with 9 other people, all of whom brought fabulous food.
2. Boarded two dogs whose owners went to New Zealand for a month. One was a small beagle who took an instant dislike to Otter, and to old, sweet Sadie, who’d never met a dog who didn’t like her. I thought all beagles were sweet all the time. Not so! Both visitor dogs slept under the covers at my feet, and the beagle and Fang got along fabulously. Funnily, sort of, the dogs’ owner was the ER doc who treated me for the concussion I sustained in 2019 when JodietheFosterDog and Miss Ellaneous d/b/a Lil’ Bit pulled me off the library steps to chase a cat. (I just saw a headline about how cats should never be allowed outside EVER. Couldn’t agree more.)
3. The amount of my Social Security check went up.
4. Shared Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my wonderful neighbors.
5. My sisters Chris and Katie came for a week and got me all fixed up so my dementia won’t let me screw up my finances (such as they are) or healthcare. I pulled out a box of old pictures from Big Bend and we had fun remembering the good old days.
6. I got the first of the weekly visits from a social worker who is helping me follow the neuropsychiatrist’s recommendations for structuring my days and sticking to a schedule which doesn’t include sleeping all day (which is what I had been wanting to do).
7. I helped celebrate my neighbor Jacobo’s first birthday; I gave him a box of Wheaties, as I’d noticed he seemed to prefer them over his teething biscuits which are smooth. I think that extra tough texture was helping him massage his gums to allow new teeth to come join the first two. And they don’t turn to mush as fast. Of course, I could be wrong, since I know nothing about teething, and I’ve yet to see that third tooth!
8. I had lunch at the Senior Center, which is free, and at which I had intended to become a daily consumer. That night (this past Friday), starting at 10pm and not ending until 4am, I had all the worst possible symptoms of the norovirus. When I laid down (again) at 4am, I thought if it doesn’t stop now, I’m calling 911. The fact that I did then fall asleep makes me wonder if indeed there is a heaven, and my parents are up there and talked about it, and decided I could not afford an ambulance, so they told God to give me a rest.
I now have a sticky note on my door that says I’M ASLEEP, to keep people away. I should be non-contagious by Tuesday. Last night, a dear, dear friend (thank you, Amber!) came over with GatorAde, crackers, a protein bar, and TicTacs. Masked and gloved, she cleaned the bathroom of my - uh - sickness. This morning, I threw out the sandwiches the Senior Center staff had sent home with me. Since there was no one else there for lunch Friday, I think that’s where I got the virus from. (Well, the dogs got the cold cuts; the compost bin’s getting the white bread.)
I’ve been told to take it easy, so I have. I’ve been binge-watching MidSomer Murders, and think I’ll switch to DVDs for a while, even though there’s always an annoying humming sound while they play. I need an electronics genius (which means pretty much anybody who’s not me) to come over and fix that. Also, electronics genius, whoever you are - I bought from AppalShop a DVD called Stranger With a Camera. It’s about a photographer who was shot dead by a mine owner because the photographer was doing a story about mineworkers conditions. 1963, I think. When I put the DVD in, the player just spits it right back out. I asked for a replacement, and the replacement does the same thing. ARRRGH…
I couldn’t abide sitting around any more today, even under advice from friends. So I suited up, picked up all the poopsicles in the yard, then went back with a wheelbarrow and picked up all the tree branches that had made picking up poopsicles so difficult. Then I hauled all the Christmas lights into the house for untangling and storing when I save up a bit more energy. In Burnsville, Summit Street and Robertson Street were always THE streets to go to for great Christmas light displays and trick-or-treat. I go all out. Sadly, the Chamber of Commerce has commercialized Hallowe’en by giving downtown stores plastic backpacks full of treats for kids and advertising that parents just bring their kids to the Town Square. I had purchased about $60 worth of good candy (not cheap bags of peppermints). Had a total of 6 trick-or-treaters! Another great tradition down the tubes. Like public servants with ethics.
It’s 22 degrees here now, and the expected 1-3 inches of snow is whipping sideways at almost 50 mph. Time for some hot cocoa and a movie.
xox - stay warm, y’all.
Lucy