Repeating herself. Repeating herself. Repeating herself.
First day my mom started repeating herself... Over and over: http://t.co/XxJdvxdYWP #alzheimers pic.twitter.com/lqMPaz08I7
— Manny / Diabetes (@askmanny) October 13, 2015
If you read this blog (though I wouldn't blame you if you don't), you probably know that my mother has Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed several years ago, and I would like if I said it's been an easy road: it hasn't.Along this journey, before yesterday, she has had at least three "leaps" we've been able to observe:
- That "OMG" moment, when it became obvious to me that something was off: I had dropped her off in church, to pick her up an hour later. After mass was over, I kept waiting and waiting for her, to be surprised by her phone call... from her home. She had gotten a ride back home, because she had forgotten I was outside. Soon after that day, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
- She had been living for nearly two years in an Independent Living facility, and some things pointed at the need for her to get more assistance in her day-to-day, things that resulted in her taking less care about herself than we were used to see her do. When I spoke with the Executive Director at her residence, she told me we needed to find my mom a place where she could get Memory Care... she was taking a "leap" into a new level of care."
- For a few months now, more often than not she doesn't remember I am her son. She still associates me with someone "familiar" (a kind gentleman, and at times, she is sure I am her younger brother). The first time that this happened, it was very hard to accept...
Yesterday, a new "leap" happened. I was used to her repeating herself: conversations with my mom have been cyclical for quite some time. The same topic comes back over and over. But yesterday, she started repeating words and short phrases, over and over. For example, she would tell me:
"Señor, señor, señor, señor, señor..." ("Sir, sir, sir, sir, sir...")
This is all very fresh, and not easy. We will continue to be there for her. But it's not easy... it's not easy... it's not easy...