[Granville-Hough] 21 Dec 2009 - Undies/Panties and Alzheimer's

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:36:28 -0800
From: Granville W Hough <gwhough at oakapple.net>
Subject: Undies/Panties and Alzheimer's -21 Dec 2009

UNDIES AND PANTYHOSE, ETC
Letter to Dorothy Neville, Carol's older sister, c 2001.
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UNDIES: BEFORE I UNDERSTOOD CAROLÆS PROBLEMS, I BOUGHT WHAT SHE SAID WAS 
HER PANTY SIZE, THEN SHE WOULD SAY SHE WAS OUT OF PANTIES. TIME AFTER 
TIME I GOT SETS OF THREE, THEN COULD NOT FIND THEM. WHEN I FINALLY 
UNDERSTOOD SHE COULD NOT DRESS OR UNDRESS HERSELF RELIABLY OR GO TO THE 
BATHROOM RELIABLY, I FOUND SHE HAD STORED PACKAGES OF PANTIES IN EVERY 
CONCEIVABLE PLACE ôWHERE SHE COULD FIND THEM,ö EVERYWHERE EXCEPT IN HER 
DRESSER WHERE SHE HAD A DRAWER EXCLUSIVELY FOR PANTIES AND BRAS. I ALSO 
FOUND IN DRESSING HER THAT SIZE 6 WAS TOO SMALL, AND THAT THE SIZE 5 
SUPPLIES SHE HAD SHE CLAIMED WERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. SO MOST OF THE SIZE 
SIX HAVE NEVER BEEN WORN, AND THE SIZE 5 ARE FROM OVER FIVE YEARS AGO 
WHEN SHE COULD BUY FOR HERSELF.

PANTYHOSE: CAROL HAD AN ARRANGEMENT WITH MS. HOFF IN THE MOST EXCLUSIVE 
STORE IN ORANGE COUNTY THAT SHE WOULD BUY CERTAIN COLORS AND SIZES OF 
PANTYHOSE WHEN THEY WENT ON SALE. SO MS HOFF WOULD CALL UP AND CAROL 
WOULD SAY, YES, I NEED THUS AND SO. THE PACKAGES WOULD ARRIVE BY MAIL IN 
DUE COURSE. ABOUT A YEAR AFTER HER BRAIN SURGERY, I DISCOVERED SHE HAD A 
CREDIT CARD DEBT WITH THIS STORE WHICH SHE HAD NOT PAID FOR A YEAR, AND 
MOST OF IT WAS FOR PANTY HOSE. I PAID THE DEBT AND CANCELLED THE CREDIT 
CARD, BUT I BEGAN TO FIND PACKAGE AFTER PACKAGE OF PANTY HOSE IN HER 
DESK, IN THE PIANO BENCH, WITH THE BATH TOWELLS, AND IN VARIOUS DRESSER 
DRAWERS, AS WELL AS AMONG HER SOCKS AND STOCKINGS. SHE CANNOT NOW IN ANY 
WAY, PUT ON PANTY HOSE AND MIGHT NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE WHAT THEY ARE ON 
SOME DAYS.

SHE DOES HAVE MOMENTS OF COMPLETE RATIONALITY WHEN SHE CAN GET UPSET 
ABOUT WHAT I AM DOING WITH HER THINGS, HER CLOTHES, HER SHOES, HER DESK, 
HER CAR, OR WHATEVER. SO PLEASE DO NOT MENTION THAT I HAVE SENT THINGS 
TO YOU, EITHER ORALLY OR IN LETTERS. SHE JUST MIGHT HAVE A FLASHBACK 
ABOUT WHAT HER BIG SISTERS ARE DOING TO HER BY TAKING HER PRETTY CLOTHES.

I NOW HAVE PLENTY OF SIZE 8 PANTIES FOR HER, AND I WILL KEEP A FIVE YEAR 
SUPPLY OF PANTYHOSE WHERE I CAN FIND THEM IF SHE EVER SUDDENLY REMEMBERS 
THAT SHE HAS SOME AND WANTS TO WEAR THEM.

ONE HUMEROUS/TRAGIC INCIDENT ABOUT PANTYHOSE WAS WHEN SHE WANTED A FOOT 
DOCTOR TO TRIM HER TOENAILS AND TREAT AN INFECTION OF HER TOES WHICH HAD 
FLARED IN HER HOSPITAL STAY FOR BRAIN SURGERY. WE MADE THE APPOINTMENT 
AND SHE GOT DRESSED IN PANTY HOSE. I INSISTED PANTY HOSE WERE NOT 
APPROPRIATE AS THE DOCTOR HAD TO WORK ON HER TOES. SHE GOT INTENSELY 
ANGRY AND REFUSED TO TAKE THE PANTY HOSE OFF. I TOOK HER TO THE 
APPOINTMENT HOPING THE NURSE COULD GET HER TO TAKE THE PANTY HOSE OFF SO 
THE DOCTOR COULD WORK ON HER TOENAILS. SHE WAS JUST AS ADAMANT THERE 
WITH BOTH THE NURSE AND THE DOCTOR, SO HE FINALLY SAID HE COULD CUT THE 
HOSE AND RUIN IT TO GET TO HER TOES; BUT HE RECOMMENDED THAT I TRY 
ANOTHER DAY. WE NEVER WENT BACK, AND CAROLÆS TOENAILS ARE SO LONG AND 
SHARP THEY WOULD DESTROY ANY HOSE SHE ATTEMPTED TO USE. SHE REFUSES TO 
ALLOW ME TO CUT THEM, AND THE LAST TOENAIL TRIMMINGS WERE DURING BONNYÆS 
VISITS.

SHOES: CAROL VIED WITH IMELDA MARCOS, THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTÆS WIFE, 
IN NUMBERS OF SHOES SHE HAD AND KEPT. HER FOOT JOINTS ARE ARTHRITIC AND 
ANY SHOE SEEMED TO HURT. SO WE HAVE PAIR AFTER PAIR OF SHOES FOR 
MATCHING EVERY DRESS SHE HAD. NOW WE ARE USING ONLY TWO PAIRS WHICH 
BONNY BOUGHT FOR HER, ONE TAN AND ONE BLUE, WHICH I WOULD CALL PADDING 
ABOUT SHOES. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE OTHER SHOES, BUT I 
DONÆT DARE TOUCHING OR MENTIONING THEM.

SO THIS IS THE SITUATION, AND WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR LETTERS AND CALLS. 
THEY BRING CAROL BACK INTO THE REAL WORLD FOR SOME TIME, AND I TALK 
ABOUT THEM SO THAT SHE LOOKS FORWARD TO THEM.

I offer a special Christmas prayer for all Alzheimer's patients and 
their caretakers. Granville.