It’s been a very long time since you’ve heard from me, and I’m sorry for that. At first, life was just too busy to worry about writing a newsletter. But then the thought of writing this particular newsletter became overwhelming, as if putting it in writing made it more real. But this is my reality.
My mother has Alzheimer’s Disease. She was diagnosed with it several years ago in the very early stages. We were able to have many difficult conversations as a family because my mother’s mind was still that…hers. She surrendered her driver’s license on her own and we were all committed to making the best of her life while we could.
After that, we just went on living. Mom’s disease was slow moving. She would occasionally forget things or repeat herself, but overall, she was still the best mom and grandma that ever walked the planet.
And then last summer happened. Mom’s Alzheimer’s had progressed, and we were seeing and dealing with a lot more hallucinations and confusion. But it wasn’t until my mother had a couple of hospital stays that the disease began its rapid decent.
[Read more…] about Why I’ve been missing in action
