Living With the Unpredictable

My dementia diagnosis has opened my eyes even wider to something I know inside anyway: life is unpredictable. No matter how rich or prepared or healthy or happy or famous or educated or intelligent or blessed you are by any definition, life still holds disappointment, defeat, surprise, unpredictable events and more. No wonder the saying: The best laid plans of mice and men." This morning was my return doctor appointment: ALL the tests results were in and it still boiled down to what doc suspected and claimed last week and what I've known inside for awhile now. The only real news was I also have high cholesterol. So, off the drug store we went to fill my two scripts: one being Aricept and pick of two refills for George. We made two more stops after that and headed home to relax. Or so we thought. Nearing our house we realized we were behind a neighbor we had not yet met & George wanted to talk to him. We parked by his drive & the guys talked boating,etc. while I stayed in the cool car. George never said another word about him except that he had a motor George might be interested in. After unloading the car, he went to the porch and I laid on the sofa with the blinds closed and AC running. Later he comes inside and asks if I remember what the guy's name is. Me? That is funny. He goes back outside and I hear our boat motor start up. I assume George is tinkering again. Later he comes inside and says he's going for a ride to a boat ramp on Lake Rousseau with Pat. I was in my own orbit and had NO CLUE what he was talking about. I didn't react well either. Long story short, the whole even scared me and I kept asking who and what he was talking about. George grew more impatient each time & finally said, "I'll be home later." He went out the back door and I went out the front door in time to watch him disappear into a strange blue truck I didn't recall. By the time he returned, I was in the fetal position on the sofa holding a wet napkin and hugging a pillow. He realized he had missed the obvious: my brain had slipped a gear earlier. He soothed me, apologized and suggested we go for a ride after picking up a Subway sandwich. He was going to show me the boat ramp the neighbor had showed him. We both had a good laugh when he got lost within three miles of our home & had to backtrack TWICE before finding the ramp. Such is life today. Perhaps after a few weeks of Aricept it will even out a bit.