A three nap day

 After a very good week today hasn't gone well which is such a shame.

Friends came for coffee on Monday and Wednesday; Friday evening saw us out and socialising in the village and yesterday morning we joined Jake and family for a birthday walk and picnic lunch.  Through it all Ash has smiled, joked and chatted seeming so much like his old self that, for brief moments, it was almost possible that the last few years had been a terrible joke.

The only fly in the ointment has been the broken nights and that's where today began badly.  For the third morning in a row Ash has decided that the earlier the hour the better the time to start his day and unfortunately I find that a struggle.  

This morning I first heard him making his way downstairs at 4am.  I persuaded him back to bed but he was up again at 5am and by the third attempt at 5.45 I shouted.  I can almost hear some of you tut there in the background and I know I shouldn't; I know it only makes things worse and the best thing is to stay calm and talk normally but I was so tired I wasn't thinking straight.  Admittedly it wasn't as bad as yesterday when he was dressed at 12.30am but the cumulative effect of three nights of broken sleep had taken it's toll which, I think, explains the shouting.

So that was the very beginning but things didn't get any better.  In an effort to clear my head I decided to make today the first day of my new fitness regime.  I told Ash I was going to be out for half an hour, wrote a note to that effect, picked up my phone and set out.  The first drawback was finding that my new playlist wouldn't work on the phone but I was determined so decided to do without music.  Next I discovered that the fitness app I needed didn't like the fact that I'd ignored it for 18 months and it too refused to play.  Undeterred I decided to walk the route and that was ok.  

Up to the top of the lane I went, basking in the sunshine, admiring the views and thinking how much better I felt.  The good feeling lasted until I got home and discovered that Ash had taken Max and locked me out.  That was ok, I'd just sit and wait until he got home.  Only he didn't come home and I started to worry.  I worried right up until I caught sight of him through a window and realised, rather than locking me out, he'd locked himself in!

From that point the day was full of confusion with Ash's head seemingly elsewhere at all time.  Little of what he said made sense, he put things down and immediately lost them, he was grumpy and he had no idea what to do with himself.

It would take too long to list all the things that were 'off' today but if I tell you that I'd had my first nap by 10am and that I cried in a video call to a friend you might just realise how difficult it was.

By the time we got to the end of the afternoon I'd had two more naps and Ash seemed to have stopped fighting his confusion so we've got to the end of the day almost unscathed but I'm definitely hoping for better things tomorrow.


Don't forget you can share specific posts with others by clicking on the 3 dots at the top right hand corner of the page, you can share the blog by copying and pasting the web address www.memoryfortwo.com or you can email me at memoryfortwo@gmail.com if you have anything you want to say privately.  You can also now follow me on twitter, just search for Memory For Two, and you can find me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Memory-for-Two-287197572048864.


Comments

Sarah H said…
More hugs x
Michael Holt said…
I know how you feel, I the full spectrum of emotions and behaviour every day now but in particular order! It’s tough but have to keep going Jane xx
Michael Holt said…

I know how you feel, I get the full spectrum of emotions and behaviour every day now but in no particular order! It’s tough but we have to keep going Jane xx
Carol S said…
You’d need to be a saint not to shout sometimes Jane. We have just been on holiday for a week in a cottage and my partner had several early mornings - well before 6.00 am and it is just so shattering. Now we are back home he is back to 7. I think a change from the usual routine is what does it and perhaps the excitement of your very social few days has affected Ash. I so hope you both get back to your usual sleep pattern tonight. Hugs from me too. X
Tehachap said…
Oh goodness. I am so very sorry to read this and realize Ash has deteriorated back once more from his usual self. What a roller coaster for you both. From now on, you'll have to make sure to take your house keys whenever you leave the house. It would be helpful if you could get Ash back into some sort of routine, but it seems like that would be near impossible at this point. Do take care and know that we all shout at times--though we know we shouldn't. We are human, after all.
Jane said…
Thanks everyone. we do seem to be back in our usual routine which makes life easier and Ash has slept right through the last two nights. long may it continue. I know it's only human to lose patience every so often but when it happens I am cross with myself just because it never makes things better and only makes them worse.