I just thought I would give you an update on yesterday.
It went well ! I am so thankful for all the prayers and thoughtfulness.
Alzheimers disease is terrible and robs both the person who has it and the family of the person they have loved.
Every week when I am there with Lynne, I see less and less of the friend I have known for 62 years. She has been a remarkable person that never let her sight stop her from having a fulfilling life. She has been completely blind in her left eye since toddler age and has only 20% vision in her right eye.
Despite that disability she got a teaching credential and was a resource teacher which helps very young school age kids to catch up their reading skills so they could be back in their class room. She loved that time of her life and the kids adored her... NOW its completely gone. She has no remembrance of those years at all.
Lynne married and had a fantastic husband (who was one of my husbands best friends) and had 2 children. Kevin and Karen. Kevin passed away about 24 years ago and she has no real memory of him either. Her husband Jack passed away 16 years ago and she only says now and then that he was a nice man.. It's mind boggling to me that the brain won't keep those kind of events and memories active.
I can understand her really not knowing me except that I am a good friend that tells her stories about her past.... but her husband and child..its just not fair...
Yesterday I talked a blue streak about anything we did over the last 60 years. She said thank you for telling me these things but I just don't remember them. SIGH
Then after dinner it was like a switch was flipped and confusion set in . SunDowners is a real thing. She wanted to know when she would go home and when we would eat. Everything was going around in circles. I just kept repeating things but at least she wasn't agitated, just totally confused.
When Karen came home from work Lynne seemed happy but really didn't know who she was either. Darn Alzheimers !!!
Life is not fun in that household. It makes my heart ache.
I took this photo of her yesterday. I am pleased with how she responded. She liked it and thought maybe it was a picture of her. Her hair is snow white but in her memories she still has brown hair. This doesn't make sense to her.
I sit close to her so she can see me with her right eye but even those messages aren't always there as to where I am, when I am right there in front of her.
Darn Alzheimers !!!
She turned 84 a few weeks ago, still has beautiful skin and hair. But the body is wobbly and her brain doesn't give her messages for walking or feeding her self very often.
Darn Alzheimers !!!
Thanks for letting me share my feelings with all of you.
Always be Grateful
Always be Kind
7 comments:
That’s so sad. My late brother had Alzheimers - he died at age 72. He had a horrible accident years before that resulted in a brain injury. He seemed fine and then he was diagnosed and it progressed so fast we could hardly believe it. He died in less than a year.
Yes darn Alzheimers!
Heartbreaking! My grandmother disappeared the same way! When she passed, we missed her but would never wish her back the way she had been. The long good-bye for sure. Blessings to you for helping your friend, Sue.
Always be grateful, always be kind..... good advice. One of my friends is starting to suffer the same mental degeneration, and there doesn't seem to be anything available to stop it.
Alzheimers is such a terrible disease. You are so right about Sundowners, it is so real. I worked in a skilled facility for a lot of years and it started up around 4pm. It was good of you to stay with her.
Such a horrible disease. I can't imagine watching a loved one go through all of that.
How I loathe AD! Thank you for telling us a little about Lynne -- both who she was and now. Still a lovely looking lady, isn't she? My heart goes out to Karen, and others who find themselves unwilling caregivers. Hugs!
I am so sorry - what a horrid disease. I am so glad you were there for her.
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