After months of being separated and trying to access how Mom is doing via phone calls and zoom, we have finally been reunited! Hurray! We were allowed back in to see Mom and Dad last week and it was like water to our souls. Just all being in the same room brought the comfort of … Continue reading Reunited
Our Dementia Journey
Dementia Doesn’t Shelter-in-Place
Dementia doesn’t shelter-in-place. There is no pause. There is no waiting. It rolls relentlessly on, continuing its forward movement. It continues to take away Mom’s ability to communicate. Words are fewer and farther between. It continues to take away her mobility. Steps are slower and slower. Its newest take away is her ability to swallow. … Continue reading Dementia Doesn’t Shelter-in-Place
Dear Healthcare Provider (Guest Blog)
Recently, I wrote a blog about Mom's hospital stay. I wrote it from the perspective of a family caregiver and addressed it directly to the hospital. Now my sister Melinda, a nurse practitioner, has written a guest blog from the perspective of a healthcare provider to Healthcare Provider. She makes important points for all those … Continue reading Dear Healthcare Provider (Guest Blog)
Dear Hospital
Dear Hospital, You were created as a place of healing. You exist with a mandate to preserve life. Those who work within your walls are compassionate and desire to help others in the direst of circumstances. They bring health, comfort, and relief to the suffering who have been brought to you for assistance. It is … Continue reading Dear Hospital
A Solitary Path
Caregiving is a solitary path. Watching Dad take care of Mom and even helping him, I can see the toll it takes. She is dependent upon him. We went to a concert together and I saw her needing him. I was right there, but I am not Dad. She seemed to forget how to get … Continue reading A Solitary Path
Compounded Grief
There is an ache in my chest, which wakes my brain. It is not a physical ache, but an emotional one. My brain rouses my eyes and my feet slide out from under the warm covers to tiptoe to my computer…trying not to wake the sleeping dogs. It is a familiar walk through the dark … Continue reading Compounded Grief
Dear Friends and Family (2)
Dad and I talk together pretty often about Mom’s daily condition. We look at her new behaviors and we try to analyze what each one means. Is she getting worse? Is this new? Is she sick or is her mind just disconnected? Melinda and Dad also analyze every moment especially the medical ones. Everything that … Continue reading Dear Friends and Family (2)
It’s the First Time
It happened for the first-time last night. We took Mom to a Christmas concert, and after we got her seated she looked at me and asked, “Do you know who I am?” The look in her eye told me she didn’t know who I was and she was wondering why I was helping her. I … Continue reading It’s the First Time
Warm and Fuzzy Christmas
I have always loved Christmas. For me, as a child, it was a magical time. Lights, presents, caroling, friends, shows, music, family… all of it, just made me feel warm and fuzzy. As I grew up, I continued to love the warm and fuzzy parts of the season and tried to pass them along to … Continue reading Warm and Fuzzy Christmas
Unexpected Sorrow
A wave of sorrow hit me yesterday unexpectedly, but I have come to recognize grief when it knocks on my heart’s door. I’m not sure if I can say grief is my friend, but I am getting acquainted with the daily visits and finding they are a pressure release…if I don’t slam the door. Grieving … Continue reading Unexpected Sorrow
