Mom

[Phyllis Kaylor]

Mom has a swiss cheese brain now. She used to have a Masters degree in Library Science and taught grade school during my growing up years. Now she doesn't know where she is, what day it is or what she had for lunch. Her view of reality is skewed from traditional reality, yet there are glimmers of logic, slightly off center, almost like a child but with remote adult knowledge to color it. I took her to the doctor last week and, as usual, she was babbling about everything and everyone she saw. Telling me that she didn't know the lady with the pink shirt and didn't know why she was there. During her visit with the doctor, she seems not to be listening. This is my chance to explain to the doctor the frustration I have in caring for her. Without changing either my tone or sentence structure, I said, "that person fights everything that is tried to help them." Mom instantly whipped her head to look me right in the eye and said, "Are you talking about me?" Surprised, I blurted, "Mom, how do you do that?" and laughed. Not wanting to hurt her feelings I continued, "but you do fight people who are only trying to help you." "Like you don't!" she retorted. Now who's the caretaker?

[Phyllis Kaylor]

Mom has Alzheimer's and I often wonder the same as you, Jeopardy and Jello sounds peaceful. Then I'm around her and I realize her life is not at all peaceful. When she knows what's going on, she's frustrated and when she doesn't, she's scared. Not a very pleasant way to exist, I'm afraid. I, like you, are in no hurry to find out personally!

[Chuck Stromme]

Poignant and elegant and straight from the heart.

Thank you my friend. Keep writing, keep caring.