The Language of ALZ

My neighbor lost her husband over a year ago as the result of his Alzheimer's disease and she has been a wonderful support to me.  I was out washing windows this week and she was in her back yard working. We stopped a few minutes to visit and she told me a story about her husband.  She and her husband lived in Rancho Cucamonga and his stepdaughter had come from Idaho to visit her dad.  They were going to go somewhere and as they were driving her husband asked her, "Is the gun in there?" pointing to the glove box.  She replied that is was and he responded that he was glad.  Later his daughter scolded her and told her how irresponsible Diane was for having a gun around her dad.   Diane told her that she doesn't have a gun at all, her husband meant the flashlight that they keep in the glove box.  This made perfect sense to me because Scott has a few words that only I know what he is talking about.  An example is  "the green burger!"  That is a cheeseburger at Jack in the Box which he always wants when we go there.  He doesn't know what lettuce is any more so he just calls it the--green burger.  The bathroom is "that room around there" and when he want to put on his pajamas he grabs the front of his shirt and shakes it.  I have been trying to have him do a little exercising each day so I started taking him over to walk where I walk with my friend each morning. Now it is very important to him that I don't forget so about two each afternoon he starts asking me numerous! times if he gets to go to the "wall."  His feet are now "puppies!"  He is so sincere and concerned that I understand what he is trying to tell me so I am working hard to learn his new language.  Diane told me that eventually he will stop talking altogether so for now--I am savoring every word that comes out of his mouth.