The roller coaster continues

Its funny how this blog post could change depending on the day I write it...

That's how much of a roller coaster our lives are right now with Debbie. There are days where she is awesome and you can see parts of the old Deb returning, and then there are other days, like today, where she doesn't even recognize her own house.

What is it about the brain that does this? It causes so much commotion in her life, so much confusion in her days and yet by the end of the day she remembers very little of it. And for us, her family... how do we help her? We tell her the truth, repeat the stories of her day over and over, but she is convinced otherwise. If she is with me she calls Gordon or the boys, if she is with Gordon, she calls me.

Lately her confusion can bring her to tears! She's afraid, she doesn't know where she is and why she feels like this. She does not know why she can't drive the car or why her kids stay at school all day? Even when we explain they are at college, within minutes she will ask when they will be home.

And the weight gain... Its hard enough for each of us to maintain our weight or lose weight with the right attitude or will power. But how do you help someone with a brain injury who is on steroids and doesn't remember that they just ate or doesn't know what it feels like to be full. 

These are just a few of the questions that are going through my brain today. Today after driving to the cemetary to show her that our father and brother and my son are buried and died many years ago, for which she may not even remember the trip.

We had a wonderful Easter with Debbie and yet when we got together on Tuesday she asked what we are doing for Easter. I picked up some scrapbooking things and we are going to put together current photo albums to help keep her in the present, but it doesn't make it less disheartening or sad for those of us with her.

Tomorrow we will get up again, look for new ways to help her and continue on this roller coaster ride.