An Excerpt from the book “Transitions” 26.2

An excerpt from the book

“Transitions”

By Encore’s Director of Environmental Services

 Robert Milstid

26.2

Harry had a fast walker that was custom painted cherry red.  It had special pads on the front two legs that were slick and made out of some weird polyurethane. The walker sported racing stickers from various running events that his son had applied. He also added a small red license plate that had his dad’s name Harry printed in big white letters giving the walker a not only a personal touch but doubling as a reminder so his dad would be able to remember that this fine walker was his. Harry came from a running family. His father was a marathon runner in Ireland before coming to America. Running and walking was clearly still in the blood of Blue Lakes new resident Harry Wood; he had been plagued with early onset Alzheimer’s and appeared to be in his late fifties or early sixties. His dementia was certainly debilitating yet he seemed to have maintained his natural urge to run; his speech was a bit muddled yet it was clear that he wanted to stay fit and he wanted to race. I asked his son how long it had been since he had last been truly fit enough to race, and he said it had been years since his dad had the full mental capacity to run in competitions. It was a big psychological blow to Harry because of running being such a tradition in his family. I told his son that we would do everything we could to make his dad’s stay with us a good one.

I have watched many of our residents in my time with Blue Lakes walk excessively. It is a common stage of Alzheimer’s to go into the Sun-downing phase. This is an exhausting stage for the residents as well as those charged with their caretaking. From what I have seen of our residents, this constant walking and searching seems to be universal among people with advanced dementia. I’m not sure what is going on in the mind of those going through this stage but if I were to try to walk a mile in their shoes with my limited medical knowledge I would say it’s a grasp at understanding and desperately trying to get back to some kind of clarity. I can only imagine the inner insanity I would personally feel if I could not string one thought to the next.

Getting to know Harry has caused me to pay more attention to the other residents and to notice their walking routines. I like to watch Thelma; she has been with Blue Lakes for about eight months now. She too is a major walker. I’m not saying she could keep up with Harry on her best day, but she is without a doubt the second runner-up in distance walking. I would venture to say that she only sleeps about three hours a day and the rest is spent on searching for new territory within the walls at Blue Lakes. Connie Kintrel is another one of the marathoners living in our community. Another thing I have noticed is that sometimes those who tend to walk a lot have a tendency to pick up followers. It’s as if they are suspected of having secret knowledge that some of the others might be missing. For example, Connie has Louise as a follower. I suppose it is just as common as the rest of us to form a kindred spirit with someone; it is uncommon to see Connie without Louise at her side. They travel together, eat at the same table, and watch the same programs in the TV room. There are the two ladies that sit at the entrance to our lobby every single day. We never have to listen for the doorbell because these two ladies make a public announcement each time someone approaches the front door. Friendships are formed throughout the community; I enjoy seeing this kind of normality amongst our residents. It shows that they still are having certain needs met in spite of the obstacles they face.

The days and weeks pass by and I have found myself watching Harry more and more.

This has caused me to wonder if there isn’t something more that I might be able to do for Harry. Why can’t I give Harry another chance to compete in a marathon?

Transitions is available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle!

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