One day this week (Sep 2023), Dad and I talked for 50 minutes non-stop about solving the telephony problems. We sat outside in 90 degree heat as he outlined his plan and asked me to head up the committee.
I told him I would do that for him. He was so happy and went on to describe the committee mandate, the members, and what needed to be completed. He said he knew he could count on me because I understood how business runs and how to influence people. I suggested my brothers should also be involved and he said that would be a good idea. I said it didn’t seem fair for them to be relaxing too much while he and I were working so hard. He smiled and laughed hard and said, “that’s true, isn’t it?” And then we both laughed together.
There are no telephony problems and there is no committee to run.
We are eleven months after a formal medical diagnosis of dementia.
Dad has days where it is difficult for him to speak any words, days where he is talking without the sentences being related, and then days like this one where his thoughts are clear and understandable, but not true at this time in his life. The scenario, the planning, the connections are logical. The urgency is real to him. And his energy and communication is fast-paced.
It is challenging to follow these conversations. It is important not to correct or contradict. And it is absolutely exhausting.
I am unclear how his thoughts and speech can alternate so dramatically from one day to the next, and back again. I am unsure of the path ahead. The one thing I know is that I enjoy every moment we spend together – quiet or talkative.
When I was young and talked a lot, my dad called me windy. That is a perfect word for his conversation on this day. Whew Dad, you are windy!
Photo of me and Dad as we planned our committee mandate. Dad loves taking selfies.
Kelley Irwin 
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