Home With Sam

I decided to pick Sam up from the facility on Saturday morning and give her a tour of New York City. It was a beautiful sunny day and I pointed out many highlights for her, which I know she recognized. I had planned on driving down Fifth Avenue, in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but little did I know that there was a parade taking place that day and so Fifth Avenue was blocked. I did manage to have her peek down the side roads to the Museum and she recognized it immediately. She wanted us to go inside the museum so that people could see us together. I then drove us over to the Henry Hudson Parkway and it was a beautiful drive. When we passed the sign for the Cloisters, Sam asked if we could go visit. I Immediately thought to myself of just how inaccessible the Cloisters is for people in wheelchairs and so told Sam perhaps another time. Sam knew the roads we were driving on, as we have been driving these roads for many years and that was lovely. I could tell that Sam definitely has become more aware of her surroundings, with a deeper level of understanding and I even think her short-term memory has improved somewhat. We had a very quiet weekend together but simply lovely. Even our cats, Luigi and Isabella seemed to return to their old ways with Luigi sleeping next to Sam and Isabella next to me.

On our way back to the facility on Sunday afternoon we passed a Mobile Station and Dunkin Donuts. I quizzed Sam (a bad recently developed habit of mine) and asked her what happens at a Mobile station...she looked at me oddly and said "we get gas for the car" and then I asked her what about at Dunkin Donuts and she said "I get Krullers". I loved the Kruller response, since Sam always did get Krullers when at a Dunkin Donuts. It probably has been years since she was at one, but I saw it as a sign of her improved long-term memory. Although Sam was mad at me for taking her back to the facility, once we arrived and familiar people there started greeting her, her mood changed and she was like a shining star. Everyone wanted to know how her weekend was and she very loudly, and repeatedly stated over and over again to all those who asked ... "Great!"