"Your Dad!"

"Oh Donna! Your dad!"

Uh oh. What has he done this time?!  So often when I go in to see dad, his carer's have stories to tell me about him, and today was no different.  Turns out dad was walking this morning! Well... almost. During his physio session, he was using the rail that lines the hall for assistance.  They didnt need the large frame walker that he usually uses.  They couldn't get over it.

"Your dad... he's determined."

Oh yes.  Tell me about it.

He reminds me of those men in prison... who slowly, methodically, over time, work out an escape plan.  There is that determindness within him to escape... away from all the people who tell him what to do... run to freedom.  If only.  Parkinson's is a prison from which there is no escape.

The physio said to me... "We've got to watch that other hip."  Oh no... we don't need another hospital visit!  Now that he has had a taste of mobility, he isn't going to give it up.  How does he remember that he has been up and walking, yet forgets that he cannot walk unassisted.  Ten times a day we are telling him to sit in his chair, he doesn't need to get up.  In fact, can't get up.  No... we are not imprisoning him.  It's the Parkinson's that won't allow him to walk unattended.  Oh dear.

In conversation with one of the care aides today, she was telling me how she enjoyed her job, and how much she took from it.  She commented that dad hasn't lost his sense of humor... he keeps them on their toes, and numerous times through out the day they are cracking up at something he has said, or done.  I just laugh and say, "Welcome to life with dad.  Never a dull moment."

Having worked in construction most of his life, dad was always eyeing things up, figuring out how they were made.  He has now figured out his wheelchair, and spends hours fiddling with the foot pegs... flipping them up and down, or taking them right off.  Moving his wheelchair is no simple task... you have to ensure his footpegs are in the locked position and that his feet are in place.  Which they never are.  Now that he has figured out how the foot pegs come out, he removes them and disposes of them!

In further discussion today, I wondered aloud with the carer's if a hand puzzle would help him.  He could sit there all day studying it.  There are many parallel's with children and the elderly (another blog post for another day)... another one being their fascination with how things work.  In fact, one of my friend's little boys has a wooden bench with different colored pegs and a little hammer to hit them with.  I might get him something like that to play with.  When I said I would go to the toy store to check out some toys, I was kind of given a strange look and some comment about not treating dad as a child.  However, I am fascinated with the similarities between children's brains and the elderly.  Children play with toys to learn skills, and also because they are safe.  Elderly need toys to remind them of what they use to do, and because they are safe.  Dad can no longer read, or work on hobbies, or do many things for himself.  If he's fascinated with the workings of his chair, then maybe some kind of child's toy/puzzle thing will work for him.  We shall see...