Conversing

In Lyn's last quarterly check up with her physician, her physician noted that there's been a marked decline in Lyn's ability to follow a conversation.  

If she picks up on one of her triggers like hearing us discuss the body, she will start to get upset and a single sentence or two from us now mollifies her.  She'll look confused but accepts our explanation that we're not being inappropriate.  She really doesn't get mad or hold onto it much.  She was much more feisty about it even 6 months ago.

When I speak to her, she's got a small set of questions she always asks.  She doesn't deviate from the questions.

• How are you?
• How is your husband?
• How are the kids?
• What are your kids doing?
• Do I hear your dog?

I'm not sure that she is listening to how I answer.  It seems like she's just wanting a response and any response will suffice.  Now, I haven't tested this.  I have not messed with her.  I give her honest answers like "I'm good; just doing laundry", "He's fine.  He's in the garage", "They're avoiding me because they don't want me to ask them to do chores", and "Yes, she's snoring on her pillow."  You can see her shift away with anything more than a one or two sentence response.  Complex answers like "He's in the garage working on bee hive components in preparation for Spring" would be too much for her.  

When speaking with Lyn, she wants to be included but can't participate much in the conversation.  She sits and drifts mentally.  She may spark long enough to ask her small set of questions and then drifts again.  She may randomly interject a comment or recall something she feels is important.  It is important because it is the thought she has at that moment.  We listen and respond.  She's content or mollified.  

Those interjections can be completely unrelated to the prior topic at hand.  We just shift and act as though it was.  When she wants to say something, we stop and listen.  We physically stop and turn to her to make sure she knows she has our attention.