Eighteen years ago today I was sitting with my grandmother who had dementia/Alzheimers watching the tv as the towers fell.  She didn’t understand and wanted to go outside to see the chickens.  I wanted to stay and watch the events unfold.  Dementia won and we went to the chickens.

And now almost two decades later I’m with mom who also can’t focus on tv.  Her dementia is 10x worse with Lewy Body Dementia. And for a few years we were able to see some reversal of symptoms, but now they are back in full force.

Motion is her only comfort and unfortunately our golf cart died.  So now we are driving hours per day as it is the one thing that keeps her calm.  We will do what it takes.

Finances are a concern.  Her health is a concern.  Our own selves are so far beyond fatigue one wonders if things will ever be “normal” again.  But we go forward.  We trust the Lord.

No one knows the time or day.  Not over our lives.  Not over her life.  Mom has outlived a surprising number of others who we thought were “healthy.”

But this disease is nasty.  I hate it for my mom.  I just pray every day that God will give me the wisdom, strength and patience to know how to care for her, as well as the physical energy to do so.

Blessings to all you others who are also on this journey.

PS–I failed the “peanut butter test.”  Hold a jar of peanut butter to your nose and plug one nostril.  If one nostril smells peanut butter and the other doesn’t, it is an early sign that you may have very early stages of dementia.  This is very disturbing.  My diet and exercise need to change and I need to start taking precautionary measures.