 |
 |
Sarah, dear, first let me tell you that this will be one of the toughest times that you will ever experience in your life. Alzheimer's is a thieving, lying, rotten disease that only knows how to fight down & dirty. My father died with Alzheimer's only a year &a half ago but it seems like forever when we watch old videos and look at old pictures. How could we not recognize the signs that now are so blatantly obvious? How do you combat something that robs you of everything you ever worked for and then takes away any shred of self- respect you ever had? You ask what you can give her as a gift-nothing would be so precious to both her & to you as your time. Believe me, I know how tedious it becomes to listen for the umpteenth time to a story, or to sit and shovel spoonful after spoonful of nursing home food into unresponsive lips; or to bounce a ball back and forth and back and forth until you are ready to scream....or to go through pictures of family over and over again until you want to shake him and say: "Daddy, isn't any of this getting through to you?" But your silent scream goes unvoiced and unheard in those places where everyone is silently screaming. So, in the end, after it is all said & done, and you look back at what you have given-your time is the only thing that is of any value. It is the only thing that you can give freely and get just as much back from it as you give. Give her your time & your unconditional love! PS-I'm still trying to find a movement disorder specialist in Tulsa for a friend. any info would be greatly appreciated!