Part 19 (2/2)
”Oh, we were thinking of letting her go. You don't really need her anymore. You can't afford her anyway.”
”No, you can't let her go. She ... doesn't cost all that much, really. Her services are ... subsidised.”
Samira paused. ”I've arranged your mom's clothing by colour and in a sequence-it'll make decision-making easier. She's not changing her clothes ... enough.”
”Sorry, I ...”
”It's not your fault, Noel. It's the Bath Lady's. And in your mom's bathroom I've arranged her things so they're easier to use. And I've posted a bathing schedule on her calendar of daily activities.”
”Wow, this is ... amazing. How did you ...”
”I got some advice from Dr. Rheaume and Dr. Ravenscroft. And took out some library books.”
”That was my idea,” said JJ.
Noel nodded. ”Look, all this is great, and don't think I don't appreciate it ... but I'm not sure my mom is at the stage where ... I mean, I think she's getting better and I plan on making things even more ... better. I'm working on ... JJ and I are working on ... things.”
”I understand that,” said Samira, ”and if anything can be found to help her, I'm sure you two guys will find it. But for the time being, Noel, your mom has problems. You have to realise that. I know she's up and down, but she still has serious problems. I'm just trying to make things easier for her. And you.”
”Thanks, I ... appreciate it.” Noel quickly looked away from Samira's penetrating gaze. In the cabinet beside her, he noticed an unfamiliar hole. ”Where's the television?”
”In the garage,” said Samira. ”Along with the two others.”
”But ... my mom likes history programmes and quiz shows and-”
”That was my idea,” said JJ. ”It's the eighth annual TV-Turnoff Week. Last year six million pulled the plug. Their website lists a hundred and one suggestions for alternative activities-like baking, yoga, gardening, reading. There's a connection between obesity and TV-watching, Websurfing and video games.”
”And pa.s.sive screens don't exactly help Alzheimer's,” said Samira.
”OK,” said Noel, nodding. ”My father would've approved.”
”We also went through the kitchen cupboards,” said JJ. ”We threw out everything that contains artificial sweeteners, including two cases of Diet Pepsi.”
”But why? I'm trying to cut down on calories and ...”
”Because,” said JJ, ”aspartame has been linked to Alzheimer's. Monsanto has known this for years. The information is freely available on the Net. The Palm Springs Inst.i.tute for Medical Research in California says it causes convulsions, blindness and loss of memory.”
”That sounds like a complete load of-”
”Oh, and we took the liberty of buying a case of red wine,” said JJ.
”For my mom?” asked Noel. ”But didn't you just order some red-wine extract from Switzerland?”
”The ANOX? It's been held up. Anyway, a new study says the wine itself is just as good. Some chemical in it, I can't remember the name, stimulates nerve regeneration.”
”Resveratrol. Researchers in Italy found that when it was added to human nerve cells growing in culture, they grew contact points.”
”Contact points, exactly. And people with Alzheimer's have fewer contact points, am I right? So by having daily shots of wine you prevent, you know ...”
”Neurodegeneration. Where's my mother now, by the way?”
”Sound asleep. She had a bit too much wine. Don't worry about her, I've got my hand on the wheel. Oh, by the way, I fixed her treadmill. We're going to boil her blood for forty-five minutes every day. That's the key to alertness and longevity-boil your blood for forty-five minutes a day. That's what my grandfather used to say.”
”By 'boil her blood' you mean get her heart going.”
”And brain. Neurobics, I call it.”
”How old was your grandfather when he died?”
”Fifty. He fell off his bike and broke his neck. Oh, and we were looking at your mom's sc.r.a.pbooks. Amazing. She's got articles on your dad's work back in the eighties! And articles on you when you were a little boy! You were both famous! And Dr. Vorta is quoted in some of them! So I'm making copies for my sc.r.a.pbook, if it's OK with you.”
”And we found some things in the attic,” said Samira. ”I hope you don't mind us poking around.”
”What'd you come up with?”
”These.” From the kitchen table Samira picked up a sheaf of ice-blue airmail letters, with British stamps.
”My grandmother's letters! You found them! Fantastic!”
”There's magic spells inside a couple of the letters,” said Samira. ”Witch's spells, I mean. Good spells.”
”I know, I've been looking all over for them for years! I remember some of them from when I was a kid. Where'd you find them?”
”In here.” JJ held up a red-and-white chequered book, a battered and food-stained Better Homes & Gardens Better Homes & Gardens. ”Flattened like leaves inside the pages. Maybe we can try some of the spells on your mom.”
Noel stared at the cover of the book, remembering certain flourthumbed pages that had made his life happier; he could now smell and taste the desserts he had helped his mother make, like Rice Krispie squares and vanilla fudge and lemon meringue pie (”a luscious filling made with real lemon tucked under a fluffy blanket of lightly toasted meringue ...”). ”OK, I'll try anything.”
”One last thing,” said Samira. ”Your mom is becoming more and more ... silent. As I'm sure you've noticed. So I'm going to get her painting-it'll help her to express herself. Art therapy, by an amateur like me, hope you don't mind. I've only done one semester, but I'll do my best ...”36 ”Yes, by all means, art therapy sounds like a good idea. A very very good idea-” good idea-”
”Our next concern is you,” said Samira. ”Because your system's run down. Caregiver collapse. Depression, exhaustion, maybe even guilt- it's common according to Dr. Rheaume. So JJ and I have drawn up a Top Ten list for you.”
”Most of these are Sam's,” said JJ. ”Try to guess which two are mine.” He handed Noel a piece of lined yellow paper.
Noel's 10 Commandments 1.Get enough sleep, and take time out to relax, so you can focus better on things that are important (like finding a memory cure!).
2.Eat three square meals to give you energy for things that are important (like finding a memory cure!).
3.Allow others to help, because caring for your mom is too big a job to be done by you alone.
4.Take one day at a time rather than worry about what may or may not happen in the future.
5.Structure your day because a consistent schedule makes life easier for both you and your mom.
6.Remember that your mom is not being difficult on purpose; her behaviour and emotions are being distorted by AD.
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