SUNDAY SWEETHEART UPDATE

This is current information which I will include, maybe once a week, or whenever necessary, to keep you all up to speed on what is going on in our lives.

Jack hadn’t been to Sacrament Meeting for three or four weeks, for one reason or another: Too much snow on the ground and he was afraid he’d slip and fall; just didn’t feel up to it and so on. But this past Sunday, January 13th, he decided he could make it so we went and sat in our usual spot. When Sacrament Meeting was over and people were filing out to go to Sunday School, Jack’s “Sunday Sweetheart,” Della Brian saw him sitting on the bench and I cannot describe the look of delight that crossed her face. I wish I had had a camera. It absolutely tickled me to see it. She hurried over to him, grabbed his hand and squeezed it, then planted a very long kiss on his forehead. She turned to me and said, “I’ve missed my Sunday Sweetheart”, squeezed his hand again and went to Sunday School class. Jack looked just a tad embarrassed but I think he was quite pleased with the attention. Della Brian is about 87 years old and what a pistol!

Well, that’s the fun part. Now, is the sad part. Those of you who talked to Jack at Thanksgiving probably realize that he is not really “up to speed” with what is going on around him. He rarely ever knows what day or month it is. He never knows what the date is or the year. He has no clue what our phone number or address is. When the doctor asks him about it he responds with, “That’s not important for me to know.” He is becoming more and more confused about things present AND past. We had an appointment to see the doctor Monday and now, this doctor has told him that he must not drive any more and it nearly killed him to hear it. He doesn’t seem to know that he doesn’t know. In any case, he would be a menace on the road but he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with him. On Tuesday he was quite despondent most of the day. He thinks if he still lived in Salt Lake City that he could just go drive whenever and wherever he wanted and do all kinds of things. Now there’s a scary thought---Jack driving on the streets of a big city. Our doctor here, Dr. Chappell, is the fourth doctor to tell him he can’t drive. He doesn’t believe any of them and he is angry with them for suggesting it. On the other hand, occasionally he will have a few minutes or even a few hours of clarity and we can talk about things. Then he slips back into his “fog.”

He needs more and more of my time to help him and take care of him. I think we will be getting some “Home Health Care” shortly---mostly so a medical professional sees him each week. But hey, we are managing and I’m still able to care for him at this point. I must learn to be more patient. He still loves to listen to me play the piano and organ, so I try to play one or the other every day. I practice the numbers to accompany the choir and sometimes the Primary songs. Then I try to play something he likes—especially on the organ. That’s a good thing! Playing the piano and organ is something that---“if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” and I don’t want to “lose” it. Besides, when you get to be my age your hands need all the exercise they can get or they will stiffen up and you won’t be able to use them at all. So, there are my words of advice for today. I love you all.