Mystery

Today's visit is another reminder to me that the brain (and this disease) is a mystery. I am cautiously optimistic whenever I visit and see that Dad is alert and verbal. He was sitting up in his old recliner and my mind tried to fool itself into thinking that nothing was wrong with Dad, from this snapshot in my mind's eye. Today he actually called out for Carly (calling her "Goldilocks" just like old times). Before today (in my visits for over a month), he hasn't initiated any conversation. I didn't think that he still could! He heard mom say something about "chat" and he stopped her and said, "who had an attack?" If my conclusions are correct, his brain is slowing down to the point that it takes him so long to formulate a response to a question and while he is processing it, he loses concentration or forgets what he wants to say. So why did he have NOTHING to say when his nephew Randy visited two and a half weeks ago? (In the entire two hours, Dad might have said his name once.) And today he comes up with "Now my kids are all here. When the kids are all here, everything is OK." I just have to be thankful to have these short sentences from him and not try to figure out what makes him better on some days than others--that will remain a mystery.