Coy asked to see his doctor because he is concerned about sleeping so much. We were able to see his wonderful geriatrician yesterday. She concluded that he has "that dreadful gunk that is going around." She herself had it and it took 4 weeks to get over it. Coy is in his 4th week and I expect it will take a few more to fully recover. The antibiotics did clear up the infection and his lungs sound clear. He is just enormously tired and having some Lewy moments.

It is the doctor's opinion that his "bad day" behaviors are illness-related. I hope so!

The confusion today really made me smile, so I'll share. Coy is a Detroit fan and he's been waiting for the baseball playoff game to come on. He just now came into my office.

C: Do we have umbrellas for both of us?
J: Umm ... for what purpose?
C: It is raining.
J: Looking around. Yes. It is raining outside. It isn't raining in here.
C: Oh. Are you going to watch the game in here?
J: No. I am working in here. Is it raining in the room where you are going to watch the game?
C: (a bit confused) No, I guess it isn't.
J: All the people on tv watching the game probably have umbrellas, don't they?
C: Yes
J: They are outside. So you probably don't need an umbrella to watch in indoors. But, yes, we have several nice umbrellas in case you decide you want one anyway. Just let me know.
C: OK. Thanks.

Your comments have been a tremendous help. My husband and I are just new at this LBD situation and I am finding more about it here, just from reading the comments etc. So far, I have found talking to him as you did yours has worked better than trying to explain that it is not raining.
Mary

Jeanne, thanks for posting this! You gave a great example both of figuring out where his concern originated and redirecting it gently and kindly.

I have observed something similar with my mother and TV programs. She "processes" the visual images oddly, so that sometimes the people are in the room talking to her, or something she sees is not on TV but out a window. Her visual acuity is fairly good, but interpretation of images in the brain is messed up. When Charlie diagnosed her, he showed us that this could happen even with a picture on a little card. She could see the lines of the drawing just fine but misread their role in the picture, taking raindrops to be a fence or some such. I like your approach to validating his concern, helping him separate that from where he is, and reassuring him. A good model for me to try to follow!
Laurel

Many, if not most of my husband's stationary hallucinations were visualized against real objects, such as man named Beebop who sat in the corner of the sofa all of the time and was really the lines of the table lamp and the pillow. Showing him what is was didn't make any difference, so, unless it is threatening, just go with it. There were also many hallucinations outside in the yard, people or objects again based on real objects out there. His eyesight got pretty bad, from the fluctuations of the eye muscles I understand, so wondered how that played into it. I don't know how the moving people are perceived visually.

Anyway, his hallucinations were always benign and connected with a story which gave a topic of conversation. Like why can't I go with you when you fly in the 727 parked outside the window? Where are you going, etc.?