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My Love Has Alzheimers

My love has dementia I visit His girlfriend storms off screaming nonsensical words. One second of recognition Fleeting. Gone now. A soft forgetting of his eyes He has no idea how loved he is, resigned to the alzheimers unit I tell him goodbye but can see he has already left.

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Jennifer Proxenos

Date: 9/29/2019 2:53:00 AM

I hope it's not hereditory Lady Labyrinth becase my mum had dementia which is almsot the same perhaps not as bad though becasue she did recognise me and my husband - Caren you have touched on an international health related topic which has been debated and turned inside out and upside down by medical people. It is truly sad to watch some who held a position of authority slide back to childhood and wrose. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 9/29/2019 8:36:00 AM

My father passed of this. This was a memory of mine and my mother's put together. The last time I visited him his "girlfriend" stormed off mad, because she did not understand I am his daughter. Neither did he.

Connie Marcum Wong

Date: 9/28/2019 9:27:00 PM

I can relate to the heavy-heart loss felt in this poignant piece Caren. My best friend of over 50 years now calls me Janet and is lost in her world of this terrible disease. You have captured that kind of loss perfectly! xxoo

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 9/29/2019 8:37:00 AM

Thank you so much Connie. I said to my mother "how will I know when to leave?" and she said "you'll know," and I did. There was one second of recognition. He knew he knew me but did not know how he knew me. When he was completely somewhere else, not seeing me, I knew.

Tom Cunningham

Date: 9/28/2019 1:27:00 PM

So sad Caren, when you remember how they were, its pitiful. Tom

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 9/29/2019 8:38:00 AM

My father had it for about four years; it was a blessing when he finally stopped remembering how to swallow.

Lady Labyrinth

Date: 9/28/2019 11:51:00 AM

Very sad Krutsinger. "Departure" is slow and stagnated and that is what makes it so gut wrenching and heart breaking. Particularly if the person was highly eloquent and intelligent before demise. My father used to throw food at his 24/7 carers. Oh, the language, ripe, he had a pulchritudinous way of absolutely eviscerating the kindness and character of all his carers, but particularly, those of Filipino and Indian extraction. His behaviour, was enough to call for a thorough exorcism ... and absolutely no inhibitions with dimentia ...the script called for a Cuckoo's Nest casting. I wonder if it's hereditary?

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 9/29/2019 8:39:00 AM

It is, which is why I play 200 to 300 word games every day. I spend approximately 4 hours on them every day. Puzzles and word games are supposed to help.

Lady Labyrinth
Date: 9/28/2019 11:53:00 AM

A stiff shot of Galway assists.

Jan Allison

Date: 9/28/2019 9:19:00 AM

absolutely heart breaking especially those last 4 lines Caren. My uncle has dementia I hear from my aunt of his behaviour and it is beyond sad:-( hugs Jan xx

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 9/29/2019 8:39:00 AM

It is the saddest thing you will ever experience as you see the light leave their eyes, and they are in another realm, not knowing you at all. My dad had it and it was awful!

Heidi Sands

Date: 9/28/2019 8:02:00 AM

So sad and yet, so true from knowing someone who has a relative with that going on. I haven't dealt with it, but you have written this well :)

Caren Krutsinger
Date: 9/29/2019 8:40:00 AM

My dad Heidi. My mother said "let him have his little girlfriend" and she was right. One of his good friends left twice to get him a sweater and came back both times with something but not a sweater.