| I had lunch with a friend on Friday. It had been way too long since we'd gotten together. I realized how long when she shared how life had changed for her mother who now has Alzheimer's. My friend described the toll it has taken on the mother she once knew and the whole family, who rotate care giving. She says her mother is essentially gone and she has painfully grieved that loss, accepting the harsh reality of the present. Her mother's days start fairly peacefully but as day progresses into night she goes into a state that is described as "sun downing" where fear, panic and confusion take over. She makes phone calls to the family saying the children aren't home yet. They know it will soon be time to make decisions for her placement. The next day I had coffee with another friend who does a fundraiser every year for the Alzheimer's Society. She bakes for days then has a lunch time sale in her workplace. Coffee is donated by Tim's (Yay for Tim's), and she does a raffle too. Last year her oven gave out and she was doing the last batches in the toaster oven. The sale was still a great success. All of this brought back memories of caring for Mrs. M. She was a friend's mother and I was her companion and care giver for about a year. Even though much of her memory was gone, I learned about the power of compassion from her and the way her family treated her with dignity and humour. The humour never left her. She was one of the lucky ones. If you'd like to help by having a Coffee Break in your workplace, home, or church please check it out here: http://www.alzheimercoffeebreak.ca/ |
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I can't even begin to understand how difficult it would be to watch someone you love suffer with this cruel disease, I've heard it referred to as "the long goodbye" my heart aches for your friend.
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