Most mornings I try to get up very early as it gives me a few hours to myself before Mother begins her day. That time is precious to me so I do everything I can not to wake her as I start my routine to let the dogs out, make a cup of coffee and then try to sneak back into my room for my personal time.

Like many people with dementia, Mom is most mentally alert in the mornings. She wakes up more in touch with her physical being than any other time of the day. So her broken foot has been a mystery to her recently because she wakes up more aware of it and is then curious about what happened and why it hurts.

Unfortunately this fact-finding mission will usually start about the time I am trying to sneak around preserving my “Monica time”.  It typically presents itself with a quiet knock at my bedroom door, which she will then open, peak her head in and say “Is anybody here?” I answer “Yes Mom it’s Monica” and so begins the inquiries “What happened to my foot?” and “What do you mean it is broken?” etc, etc. I then escort Mom back to her room, answering her questions and suggesting it is too early to get up and encouraging her to go back to sleep for a few more hours.

This pattern started quite early this morning and as I was walking Mom back to her room she asked “So my foot is broken then?” and I answered that indeed it was. Mom said jokingly “Oh darn I am not wonderful anymore.” I said “Well you are still wonderful to me.” She laughed and said “I guess YOU need to go back to bed and get some sleep too because that really is a dream!”