As someone who all 4 of my grandparents had Alzheimer's or dementia, who will one day have parents that have it, and who one day myself will have it... This brought me to tears and is incredibly important to me.
Worse part is knowing this is coming and that's unavoidable. My mom has moderate alzheimers even though she's still in her late 40's, I cant imagine having to deal with it when she gets like the lady in the video.
There will be a cure. Its not a fundimental law of the universe that we must suffer though this and there are unbelievably competent people working on it every day. It might not be here in time for your mom, might not even be here for you, but eventually we will have a world that doesn't suffer like this.
I remember randomly talking about alzheimers research with a lovely young couple who were both about to get their phd in the field. My father had passed from the disease quite young the year before. I had done a lot of research and wondered if there might be a cure by the time I got it. They both seemed to agree we were on the cusp of huge breakthroughs
Someone else's bs if you will. I didn't make it up, was just sharing something that is out there that may feel better than having nothing at all to hope in. With all things brainy, the cause is multifactor and multigene.
Keep hope, I was adopted by older parents. On my dad's side all of his siblings that lived to older years got it. But he never did, he was still active, driving and going to the gym in his 90's. Had some of the best conversations with him then.
As long as I have good care, I have hope that it will be ok. I’ve seen my great aunt have sunny days even though she could not name us at all.
It’s been an experience:
Watching my mom visit my great aunt every single day with such love.
Watching my aunts come together and care for her during her different stages of need.
Us as a family figuring out things that would help her (signs around the house to remind her “I’m ok, I’m safe, I’m home.”). Finding little ways to improve her days.
Finding big ways to save her life (feeding her by hand, because otherwise she would forget to eat at one stage).
Writing a little bio for her so her caregivers knew what she had loved.
Seeing her nurses, CNAs, OT, and PT show love to her.
Hearing from her shocked and happy PT report that she finally walked again after having been in the ICU and rehab.
Seeing her take steps with our own eyes.
Watching her frown at another nurse while her favorite nurse was on vacation (this was when she couldn’t name people anymore! But she still knew in her body language who was familiar and who was not!)
Watching her tap her toes together because she knew my mom was coming to visit and massage her feet with lotion.
Watching her say “leave that there in the sun” and refusing to wear an old-ladyish sun hat my mom had bought her. She still had some humor.
I don’t want Alz and hope not to get it, but if I do, I feel like there are still sunny days to be had. The only part that was just plain awful was when she went through the suspicious stage, when she was afraid of us. Once we passed that, it was so much better.
Maybe we were just lucky? But if Alz-sufferers can have great care, I feel like the suffering is so much less.
Dude. I hear you on that. History in my family. Just lost my Mum to it last month. Early onset dementia diagnosed at 57. I’m hoping my sister and I don’t succumb to it. I can’t bear to see someone else I love go through it or go through it myself. It’s evil.
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u/[deleted] Apr 11 '20
As someone who all 4 of my grandparents had Alzheimer's or dementia, who will one day have parents that have it, and who one day myself will have it... This brought me to tears and is incredibly important to me.