When the lights go out …

I caught Mama in the toilet and had to wait for her return to her chair, as can be seen in the video below.

This visit has provided a hazy insight into what may be going on for Mama during some of my visits with her. When the lights go out, so to speak, for Mama … when she becomes unfocussed and unresponsive, though still quite awake, I believe she is suffering from sensory overload. That is what seemed to have happened after the camera stopped rolling.

Once I sat down and started our visit, though I still had her attention, she would not respond to any of my attempts to stimulate her. She simply stared at me. Over the last some months, there has bene a marked increase in this behavior.

Thinking about her activities just prior to my arrival, the toilet visit accompanied by the two staff seen in the video, during which I suspect they were as gentle as could be, was likely quite brusque and unsettling for Mama.

As I told stories and gave updates on my life, Mama simply faded and eventually closed her eyes, apparently falling asleep. I suspect she was still very much still awake but receded into herself and her confused mind.

While this was not particularly satisfying visit, it does provide evidence that Mama is healthy, if not all together whole.

You can check out this week’s video here: 2017_04_07_Dolores_02