A tale of two bracelets

[northumbrian_k]

Somewhere in transit from the USA (or Gateshead as my wife said) 2 years ago we managed to lose an opal and amethyst bracelet that I had bought her a few years before. I sourced a replica on the web and gave it to her the following Christmas, by which time she had forgotten that she had ever possessed one just like it so it was a lovely surprise. Since then she has worn it every day and night, refusing to take it off even for bed ...

... until last night when I noticed she wasn't wearing it. My first thought was that the carer may have taken it off when she (my wife that is) had a bath and put it in a safe place. More likely, I thought, that the constant strain of always being on her wrist had led to some sort of malfunction. A search of all the likely places ensued untiI I found it in her handbag with one of the links broken. I'm not sure whether to get it repaired or put it with the other stuff that she always used to wear until it broke and has now forgotten about.

I never suspected her regular carer for a moment but finding the bracelet has saved me the possibility of upsetting her by having to ask if she could remember the last time my wife wore it.

 

[Duggies-girl]

Somewhere in transit from the USA (or Gateshead as my wife said) 2 years ago we managed to lose an opal and amethyst bracelet that I had bought her a few years before. I sourced a replica on the web and gave it to her the following Christmas, by which time she had forgotten that she had ever possessed one just like it so it was a lovely surprise. Since then she has worn it every day and night, refusing to take it off even for bed ...

... until last night when I noticed she wasn't wearing it. My first thought was that the carer may have taken it off when she (my wife that is) had a bath and put it in a safe place. More likely, I thought, that the constant strain of always being on her wrist had led to some sort of malfunction. A search of all the likely places ensued untiI I found it in her handbag with one of the links broken. I'm not sure whether to get it repaired or put it with the other stuff that she always used to wear until it broke and has now forgotten about.

I never suspected her regular carer for a moment but finding the bracelet has saved me the possibility of upsetting her by having to ask if she could remember the last time my wife wore it.

I wish I could find my dads TV remote, He two identical TV's so it doesn't matter really as he can just take that one with him when he changes rooms. Thing is he is positive he saw it in my car.

 

[karaokePete]

Given the level of attachment to the bracelet I would watch for any signs of heightened anxiety as that could be down to the loss of something that reassures her by it's presence. If there is any anxiety or repeated requests/searching for the item I would have it repaired.

 

[PalSal]

Given the level of attachment to the bracelet I would watch for any signs of heightened anxiety as that could be down to the loss of something that reassures her by it's presence. If there is any anxiety or repeated requests/searching for the item I would have it repaired.

Hi all,
A few years back OH and I went for a long walk, nothing new there. A few hours after we returned from the walk, Nicky began searching for his Omega watch. He was convinced he had lost it on our walk. We retraced the walk a few times over the next couple of weeks. Then we went to the two village police stations and a kantonal lost and found. I put up posters with a reward. Finally after about a month we went shopping for a new watch. Not an Omega as our budget could no longer include a luxary watch which could be lost at anytime. About 8 months later I was cleaning the laundry room. I debated tossing a box of clean but old rags....which I keep for cleaning and polishing. I decided to look at the box, and down in the bottom of it was the Omega watch. How it got there I will never know.
Lossing things is part of an everyday story with us....but I was very happy for Nicky that we found the watch. He continues to wear he bought it the first year we were married. He can no longer tell the time with it, but he wears it everyday and he loves it.

 

[Philbo]

As my wife's dementia has progressed, I have had to gradually remove all of her jewellery.

This started a couple of years ago when she lost her gold watch. We had been out for an early evening meal, followed by a trip to our local pub. I didn't notice the watch was missing until bedtime so next day, rang around the venues and contacted the council (police in our area no longer took in lost property). No luck.

She then began a habit of taking her rings off and fiddling with them so I secreted them away too. She didn't seem to notice but it's such a shame as she really cherished her jewellery.

 

[northumbrian_k]

My wife is in the habit of counting her rings @Philbo, which is quite a feat given the number that she now wears. But I am not sure that she always notices if one gets mislaid as sometimes happens. I once found a ring by chance in the road about 200 metres from our house. It had been squashed by a car so that the stones were at a crazy angle but I recognised it as one of hers. The damage did not stop her wearing it or asking about repair - quoted £300 with no guarantee of success - until mysteriously the shank snapped in two so that it could no longer be worn. I take the view that she might as well wear what she wants if this gives her pleasure, although that is not necessarily conducive to preserving monetary value or any 'inheritance' for those who never come to see her. I am sure that a time will come when, just like everything else, dealing with crises of jewellery will become too difficult and I'll follow your lead.

 

[Philbo]

My wife is in the habit of counting her rings @Philbo, which is quite a feat given the number that she now wears. But I am not sure that she always notices if one gets mislaid as sometimes happens. I once found a ring by chance in the road about 200 metres from our house. It had been squashed by a car so that the stones were at a crazy angle but I recognised it as one of hers. The damage did not stop her wearing it or asking about repair - quoted £300 with no guarantee of success - until mysteriously the shank snapped in two so that it could no longer be worn. I take the view that she might as well wear what she wants if this gives her pleasure, although that is not necessarily conducive to preserving monetary value or any 'inheritance' for those who never come to see her. I am sure that a time will come when, just like everything else, dealing with crises of jewellery will become too difficult and I'll follow your lead.

I was only able to get away with removing the jewellery (gradually) as even early on, she lost much of her self awareness (common with FTD?). So it was a mixture of me not wanting her treasured items to get lost and the risk of her putting small items in her mouth.

I now have the battle of trying to keep track of her dentures - but that another story!

 

[malomm]

May I join the club? All very expensive jewellery now safely stashed, after a really expensive ring was luckily found tossed into a neighbours garden, but another never ever seen again. Another piece turned up stashed in her knickers. Some valuable pieces never ever seen again. Currently coloured hairbands are worn as rings and bracelets.
Keep smiling,
malomm

 

[LadyA]

My husband had always worn quite a "special" pocket watch. Beautifully painted face on it, he had bought it from a watchmaker in Switzerland many years ago. As it was always clipped to his clothing, he couldn't lose it, but I was afraid it would get broken. He could no longer tell the time anyway, particularly as his watch has Roman numerals, not numbers. So, I bought him a wristwatch for €5 in Argos, which he was thrilled with! It has a large, clear face. He wore it for a while, but when he lost the ability to tell time on that, he lost interest.
Now, I keep his pocket watch by my bed, as I was always so used to the sound of the ticking in the bedroom (it's quite a loud tick!) that I find it very soothing, and I put a prettier strap on his wristwatch, and wear it myself now and then.

 

[northumbrian_k]

Quite how these things happen I do not know but, when looking for a wet towel in her clothes drawer (she has been putting them there recently), I found a gold bracelet now split into 2 pieces. Another one for the 'to be fixed' box.

 

[northumbrian_k]

Last night she told me that an expensive ring was missing from her finger, but I know that her arthritis means she never wears one on that finger. She may be getting mixed up because of the 2 broken bracelets. She later told me that 1 of our 2 dogs is also missing (we only have one) which suggests that she knows something is missing but can't put her finger on it!