OK, you need to know something at the git-go. Dementia causes ME – the caregiver – to say crazy things. There are times when I wonder who has Alzheimer’s. Is it Momma, or is it me? Let me tell you why.
I have a very clear understanding of the fact my mother has Alzheimer’s. I can tell you the details of the day she was diagnosed, chapter and verse. I can explain what is happening inside her brain, and I can even anticipate SOME of what the future may hold for her and our family. However, I say with a sigh, I still start sentences with, “Hey Momma, do you remember ….” Then is when I want to get my brain scanned.
Fortunately, Momma has a sense of humor, and she usually has a comeback like, “Have YOU forgotten I have dementia? Because I have not forgotten that little fact.”
Caregiving is a challenge. Sometimes I say things that make me question my own sanity, but one thing is always certain. I love that woman like there is no tomorrow. I’m also very glad she is patient with me while I figure out this business of being the kind of daughter that makes her Momma happy – despite the Alzheimer’s. Hope that gives you Something To Ponder.
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