There are three of us. We are a team. From the beginning, we rallied ourselves for the long haul that dementia would inviably bring. It has been every bit as difficult as we thought it would be. We are storm weathered, battered, and exhausted, but we still have each other and that makes all the … Continue reading Teamwork!
dementia
It’s Here!!!
We interrupt your regularly scheduled summer for breaking news…our author’s preview books have arrived!! We can hold them in our hands! The cover is beautiful and smooth enough to pet! The colors are soothing. The picture is peaceful. It looks just like we had imagined it! The inside is easy to read. Each week is … Continue reading It’s Here!!!
Pre-Sales!!
When Mom started having memory issues 7 years ago, she was concerned. She was having difficulty finding words. She was forgetting familiar faces at church. She couldn’t remember directions to places she was accustomed to driving. The doctor said it was likely age-related memory loss. She stopped using the computer. She stopped cooking. Dad helped … Continue reading Pre-Sales!!
Brain Injury Awareness Month- Part 5 (last one)
Much of brain injury is looking back at the injury itself. Trying to figure out what impact it had on the brain; what parts of the brain are affected; what symptoms developed from the injury; how to treat the symptoms and underlying condition of the brain. There is so much analysis and so much detail … Continue reading Brain Injury Awareness Month- Part 5 (last one)
Brain Injury Awareness Month – Part 3
Of course, our life experience of the last 36 years, is mainly with a catastrophic frontal lobe injury. Though the frontal lobe was the primary injury, it was not the only part of Bill’s brain that was injured. The brain is loose inside of your skull, like jello. The skull is hard and has ridges … Continue reading Brain Injury Awareness Month – Part 3
Martha’s Garden
One thing Mom and Dad have always had in common is their love for flowers. Wildflowers particularly, but any flowers are a treat. I remember, when I was a kid, Dad would get up early and go for a hike on the mountain. Probably to take pictures. He would bring back a plethora of flowers … Continue reading Martha’s Garden
Update on Mom
Back in July, when Mom broke her leg, we didn’t think she would still be here at Christmas. Her pain when moved was evident. Her leg was in an immobilizer, which was big and bulky. We called hospice in to help with pain management. She was slipping away faster than before the fall, and we … Continue reading Update on Mom
Quicksand
Whatever happened to quicksand? Remember Gilligan? Or Batman? Or Tarzan? When I was a kid, it seemed to me that the quicksand was the single greatest threat to life. What a horrible way to go. Just sink and sink until there was nothing left of you…and to try to save yourself only accelerated the process. … Continue reading Quicksand
Emotional Dissonance
There is an emotional dissonance on this dementia journey. The ups and downs of the path itself, but also all the things outside of it. Mom is fading. Last week, she had numerous bad days. This week, she has had numerous better ones. A small plateau of sorts? Maybe. Maybe not. There are no sure … Continue reading Emotional Dissonance
Letting Go
We are still in limbo over here. Mom is not bouncing back from her broken leg, which we knew was a long shot at best. The original goal was to try to get her back to her wheelchair. That will not be happening. In-between land is filled with heartbreaking decisions of various kinds. There are … Continue reading Letting Go
Michelle's Mosaic 