Testy Testy

It is hot. Ok, not nearly as hot as the rest of the country, but it's all relative. Normally DH is a hot guy. OK, he is HOT, but what I mean is, he likes the heat normally. No wait, he LOVES the heat. However, I am noticing that it has been more difficult for him to function in the heat as he once used to. Other things I am noticing since the stroke:

• Hard time focusing. He used to start a job, then finish it. He now putzes around, or starts something else in the middle. Thank GOD. You see, I've always been like this, now we match and I don't feel so ditzy. We are now the ADD twins. He likes to play this new game. He will decide if he is Frick or Frack for the day and I get to be the other one. (Although I think I am more like Lucy Ricardo, minus the red hair.)*
• He gets edgy if he doesn't know what is happening. If someone drops by unexpectedly, it throws him off a bit. He likes routine. Not as able to "roll with the punches".
• He seems to have a hard time processing small bits of info, sometimes I have to explain a few times.
•  He is really having a hard time with depth perception, so we try to remember to keep objects off the floor.

• He gets lost in thought and his multi-tasking skills aren't as honed.

Now I may be reading too much into this, but I think it concerns him a little bit as well. These are tiny blips in the radar: You wouldn't notice them unless you spent a lot of time with him. I think what the problem is, is that sometimes things feel overwhelming because you may be more aware of them. For instance, let's say you often lose your keys or misplace some small object here or there. You laugh it off, or it becomes the family joke. Then, a close member of your family is suddenly diagnosed with Alzheimer's and you become obsessed with the loss or misplacement of stuff. You start thinking the worst or really freak out and it snowballs until you make yourself NUTS. You question everything...even though nothing has escalated, it's not worse, but it scares you. You constantly second guess yourself. Well, I will try reassure him and be more patient. After all, he has put up with me for nearly 20 years!

*My day with ADD: Start to clean the living room, find a sock. It is dirty. Take it down to laundry room in basement. Hmm, maybe I will do a load while there. Put a load in washer. See that towels were left in dryer and are wrinkled, fluff them up, refold. Put them in the closet. Oops! I see we are out of shampoo. Go get the big container, refill the small one, take it to bathroom. Oh My! The floor is dirty, sweep it. Oh crud, the shower looks shabby, go to the closet to get cleaning supplies. Out of paper towels. Go to storeroom. I see someone has left the box of granola bars open. Oh gee, I am hungry. Guess I will have one of those. Yum, doesn't ice tea sound good? Go to kitchen to make it, see that garbage needs emptying, take it outside. Oh for heaven's sake! The weeds are so tall! Guess I will spend a couple of minutes pulling them. Crud! Got stung by a bee! I need ibuprofen. and a nap. Why the heck didn't the living room get clean?????? Lucy! You got some 'splaining to do!