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Joy In Alzheimer’s

Posted on by simplebender

Prologue

Let’s just be honest; there is no joy in Alzheimer’s; however, Joy, my mom, is in the middle of it….so ‘Joy In Alzheimer’s’ is where we are. This is an attempt to follow her through this unwinnable battle. To open-up about how the mental disease affects her and those who care and love her. So, how did her long journey down a narrowing path come to this point. A path which no longer has a safety net. Where every stumble, on her old uncertain legs and weakened mind, can lead to uncontrolled dementia and deep dark recesses.

Joy’s road, like most with Alzheimer’s, started long before anyone really knew. My dad passed away over 15 years ago and since then Joy has lived alone. My nephew and his family lived nearby for several years. To their credit they reported subtle changes in her mental abilities. Being remote, the rest of the family dismissed the observations as ‘she’s just getting older’. Six years ago, we moved her from her west Texas home of over 50 years to an independent living facility in central Oregon. Now closer, we could see some subtle changes which age alone couldn’t explain. Three falls, with head injury, just compounded the problem. She began to lose the ability to pay bills and her ‘book-keeping’ went from taking a few hours to taking a few weeks.

We took her to a neurologist under the pretext of getting a baseline assessment after her third fall. The appointment went well. The neurologist wasn’t overly concerned with her cognitive test results. The diagnosis changed at the next appointment six months later. The doctor was concerned with the delusional episodes, the money management deterioration, but the illustration below sort of tipped the scales.

Within six months we had moved her to an assisted living facility, before the independent one was forced to ask us to move her. That’s where she is now and has been for over a year and a half; even though she’ll tell you she just moved in and has changed apartments five or six times, and the entire complex has been rotated around several times.

This was the start of our journey with her down that long narrowing path. We have found humor, character, courage, and sadness along the way. I’m sure we will find more as we continue. These will be the stories I tell, and I’m always interested in comments and support as we try to help each other. We are all on journeys and we shouldn’t judge the paths we are all on. We should just extend a hand and help. You never know, you might be the safety net so many of those with Alzheimer’s and those who are their care partners really need.

The Full story of Joy in Alzheimer’s can be found at:

Joy in Alzheimer’s: My Mom’s Brave walk into dymentia’s abyss

NeverFearTheDream simplebender.com @simplebender.bsky.social Stand For Truth

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Old Glory and Her Companions

Posted on by simplebender

Recently, I’ve spent some time driving through several urban and rural parts of America and something struck me. I noticed a lot of American flags flying. Some were crisp, clean, and clearly new. Some were tattered and worn. Some were damaged by smoke and flames from forest fires, yet they survived. I saw the red strip as well as the blue strip.  Most waved majestically, stars aloft. A very few flew resolutely upside-down declaring distress. The flag of the Republic fluttering in the breeze silently representing all of us regardless of our political position. You see the flag doesn’t know or care what you believe. It simply waves, the light dancing off the symbolic colors and independent, yet clustered, stars.

What struck me the most was the flags which joined Old Glory. Those are the flags which might just tell the real story of belief and maybe disbelief. I saw the State’s flag symbolically flying subserviently. I saw the flag remembering those Missing In Action (MIA) and the sacrifice they and their families have made and solemnly wished them well. I saw crisp, new, clean Ukrainian flags the bright yellow and blue sending a strong message and wished them peace and strength. I saw the Rainbow flag. I saw the Gadsden flag and pondered if the those flying it knew its history and that of the Continental Marines which it represented. I saw flags of the failed Confederacy and of South Vietnam and wondered.

But the grouping which was most gripping was a tri-pole flying an inverted, half-staffed, American in the center, a ‘Brandon’ flag to the left and a Russian flag to the right. As I passed, I was glad those responsible for the display had the right and freedom to do so. And yet wondered about those flying the MIA and/or the Ukraine flags and the messages each cluster was sending.

Maybe the few inverted flags were the most symbolically honest. Maybe we are a divided country in distress. Division only benefits our detractors and enemies. Maybe we should disarm our polarized positions and recognize, despite ourselves, we are stronger together than apart. Let’s not let them win.

#NeverFearthe Dream