Iron Lady Continued

Chatted with G after dinner about "The Iron Lady" but not really sure he realized until I mentioned it that Margaret Thatcher has Alzheimer's Disease. The movie, however, really affected him. (I think the movie and Ms. Streep did a really good job of portraying what it is like to live with the BIG A.)

In the past (B.A. = Before Alzheimer's) when he got really involved in a "heavy" movie he would be distracted and "lost in it" for a while after (hours at least.) This time his distraction via Alzheimer's showed up during dinner when he didn't know how to cut the peach in his peaches and cottage cheese, started to pull it apart with his fingers, so I cut up his food for him. He was quite confused between his knife and spoon, when he did figure out that the knife was to spread jam on his English muffin he did not really understand the principal of how a knife carries the jam and spreads it.

After his muffin was gone, he loaded up his knife with more jam, "Where am I supposed to put this?" he asked. "Back in the jar," I replied, "you have no more muffin to put it on."

He was aware of how confused he was and (in his few-ly worded way) recognized "How I am after a movie."

Euphemistic But True

euphemism |ˈyoōfəˌmizəm|nouna mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
• • •
Was talking on the telephone with Jr today and he asked how Gregory was doing. I couldn't talk because G was within hearing range. So I just answered, "Right."
Jr continued "feeling out" how G was doing and wondered, "When Gregory seems to be having a period of difficulties, do they get better or stay at the low point?" 
My reply was, "Right."
I was thinking to myself that in the "ebb and flow" of Gregory's cognitive abilities (thank God - if there is one - his physical abilities have not suffered) it is usually "ebb."
Jr then commented that last time he visited, he noticed that, "Gregory wasn't as available as the visit before."
I said, "Right."
Well, without much actual discussion, MJr and I had a nice conversation and two points came out of it for me.
First, while euphemistic, "Not being as available" is a nice way of saying that Gregory's cognitive abilities continue to decline. He still has the cognitive abilities, he just cannot make them available when he need to use them.
Second, I wish that my conversations with Gregory could be as informative as the one I just had with Jr. I am thinking, "Right?"