I have been around folks living with dementia for decades now and have often been touched by their doubts, fears, and curiosities. By that I mean, those with whom I have interacted have never hesitated to voice any of those! Most of the time, I was with them in some manner of caring presence--mostly as (1) a daughter or (2) a minister.
When my mother had advanced far enough into the disease that she was not sure of our relationship, we bounced among sister, daughter, cousin, neighbor, and unfortunately...enemy. Dementia, in my new understanding of it, is an unpredictable disease and appears to affect each person differently in its details. I am at the stage of physical symptoms (exhaustion, muscle weakness, and memory loss/confusion). This week I am seeing a physician with the hope of understanding more about those very symptoms, especially the current muscle weakness.
The previous 24 hours has seen me deeply confused as to time--the subtleties of the time of day as well as the passage of time. I seem to easily lose a firm connection as to how much time has passed--which is a very odd thing and seems to live in the back of my head at the base of my skull. LOL I am not sure why it feels so present in that particular place; who knows. These are reasons why I am looking forward to meeting with this additional doctor. We shall see.
All I can ask is that you stay tuned and keep me in your prayers.
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