Living with Alzheimers.....

[mdehners]

This AM was a perfect example of dealing with an Alzeheimer's patient. Dad came by as he always does, dropping off the AM paper after he and Mom are done with it. It's part of his routine and helps him get exercise. Well, I assked him how they liked the movie I ordered for them on their Netflix acct that my brother set up for them. He didn't hear that. He heard did you bring me my movie i ordered on your acct. Big brouhaha and he storms off. 10 mins later he's back with the envelope and demanding my e-mail addy so they can set up an acct for us so we won't use there's. In typical fashion of the idsease, a stuck idea they come up with will always trump Reality...
So, it looks like we'll be getting Netflix.
Cheers,
Pat

Comments

[puca]

I hear ya. This disease is a bugger. Watched my grandmother go through it and now my mother. 'Exhausting' barely covers what those around the afflicted have to go through themselves. You run the gambit of emotions on a daily basis mostly on the negative side of things. Terribly wearing.

[mdehners]

I've got more practice than most....it runs in my Dad's family. We took care of Grandpa Duffy when I was in highschool and when I moved back near family when my labwork "tanked" back before there were antiretrovirals ended up taking care of my Aunt Kay. Now it's Dad.
It's certainly had an effect. My brother has no biological children(he married a woman with kids and had a hysterectomy) and while kids weren't ever an option for me, I don't think I'd have had them if my Orientation had been more "conventional". While the nazis gave Eugenics a bad name, there is something to at least NOT passing on genetic time bombs...
Truth,
Pat

[ahmik]

I'm just new to the role of "kid with Dad who has Alzeheimer's".

[mdehners]

It's a "club" all of us would rather NOT be elegible for;>. The hardest thing is remembering not to treat them like reasoning adults. Their emotions are more along the lines of yound kids;immeditate and volatile. They have tantrums and just like a kid are over them and act as if it never happened. That's the hardest thing for most folks to deal with. My Partner took yrs getting "over" one that my Dad threw when he got confused. He's still a big man and an ex Special Forces. Add in that my Partner's the survivor of a vicious "Fag Bashing" which left him with speech problems and some retardation and the situations for stress can get a bit much. That's when I laugh at my MD when she tells me that aids patients should be minimizing stress. Luckly, More than a quarter century of Metaphysics and Hatha Yoga have given me better tools than most to cope. Of course, I HATE the saying that you're given only as much as you can handle. To me that means the Universe is out to screw the competent;>!
Truth,
Pat

[ahmik]

Yeah, I'm waiting for the emotional rolley-coaster behaviors to start up as a regular thing. I saw a few of those this summer, had no idea where they were coming from or where they went to, but I've managed (so far) not to take them personally.

[mdehners]

It's hard not to, esp. since their ability to push your buttons is the last ability to leave. The thing is, once the tantrum is over, they seldom remember them and look at you as the crazy one.
Other than the tantrums the other hardest is that they get Obsessed on subjects or objects, either talking about or looking for. For instance, my Dad will sometimes remember things he hasn't had in 20 yrs and two states residiences ago and will not accept that he didn't drag some bit accross the country and just knows me or Mom have misplaced it....
I've found a good Ale is always helpful once I get home;>...
Cheers,
Pat