August 17, 2022

We have officially recovered from Covid. John trailed me by 2 days, and just tested negative today. We're cleared to return to work and EasterSeals tomorrow. We've spent 9 long days trapped in the house together. I felt pretty crappy for 1 day, but just cold symptoms the rest of the time. John only had cold symptoms. I missed 7 days of work which is difficult because school started this week, but I've read all my emails, sent a few, texted people, etc, so I have an idea of what is going on. Still it will be crazy catching up. I hate being behind! Shoving a Qtip up John's nose and swirling it around for 1/2 a minute to test him for Covid was hideous. One time I resorted to fake crying to manipulate him into allowing me to do it. It worked! But the other times I tested him I was able to cajole him into letting me do it. It made him quite mad though. In general John was pretty calm during our covid confinement. He doesn't really know we've been trapped at home, but he spent a lot of time pacing around the house. He'd also make a stack of smaller, wallet sized items and then carry the stack around, resorting it and moving it throughout the house. Everyday he is 'sundowning'. That's the state of confusion that occurs in the late afternoon and lasts into the evening. He has increased anxiety and fears. He will say 'I'm very, very scared' but can't really explain what is scaring him. I assume that's because he's more confused that causes his fear to increase. He wants us to call 'people' to find out 'things'. He asks over and over again who is in the house, how many dogs we have, who is coming over, etc. Sometimes he thinks other people are here; I wonder if he thinks that people on the TV are actually here in the house. If he wants to throw a kleenex in the trash, he'll tell me about it. And then ask where it goes. I'll tell him where the trash can is, and he'll head that direction. But a moment later he's forgotten, so he reappears in front of me and asks about the kleenex again. This can happen a few times in a row until I either continue to tell him where the trash can is as he gets closer to the trash can, or I take him to the trash can. His memory is so short now. Yesterday he marched off to the toilet to pee a few times before I had to walk into the bathroom and remind him why he was there. Today he asked me 'Where's Susan?' - a common question. This time I asked 'Who do you think I am?' He said 'I can't tell anymore. But I have a pretty good idea of who you are.' I think that sums up well where he's at cognitively. He's confused about who people are, but he knows familiar people. He knows our character, he knows who is kind to him.