I should be here posting about mom who is geting worse because she does not pick up her phone in the NH anymore or seldom does.
I'm also worried about myself because I forgot I let the dog out, not once but twice this week.
I'm hoping that it's combined stress and nothing more, but because I have a parent with dementia I do worry.
Dorri it is always good to hear from you! The modern convenience of the telephone is frequently forgotten, not to mention that conversation becomes very difficult. Mom lost her ability to use the phone effectively. She would try to dial the remote, dial the wrong number, not know where the ringing was coming from, or pick up the phone and not know what to do with it. It seems so simple to us but to them it is a challenge.
Forgetting you let the dog out in the rush of the day is not a problem unless you forget you have a dog Losing keys is not a problem unless you forget that they go in the car. With a great grandmother, grandmother, and mother with Alzheimer's... along with several other aunts and great aunts.... hummm. I don't think I will think about that. I will just live each moment I have to the fullest!
Dorri it is always good to hear from you! The modern convenience of the telephone is frequently forgotten, not to mention that conversation becomes very difficult. Mom lost her ability to use the phone effectively. She would try to dial the remote, dial the wrong number, not know where the ringing was coming from, or pick up the phone and not know what to do with it. It seems so simple to us but to them it is a challenge.
Forgetting you let the dog out in the rush of the day is not a problem unless you forget you have a dog Losing keys is not a problem unless you forget that they go in the car. With a great grandmother, grandmother, and mother with Alzheimer's... along with several other aunts and great aunts.... hummm. I don't think I will think about that. I will just live each moment I have to the fullest!
Love, deb
Hi Deb and thanks, it's good to hear from you as well. Hope you are keeping well. Sometimes I envy you because you seem so strong.
The first time I forgot I hadn't seen the dog for a while and went downstairs to see if she was downstairs, she wasn't and sure enough I went running to door and the dog was outside. Tonite it happened again, I let her out and my husband asked me if I forgot that I let the dog out. I did. Lately my mind has been drawing lots of blanks one minute and other times I feel like my mind is in overdrive, one minute my thoughts are on this and another minute I'm thinking about something entirely different while forgetting some things in between.
I am also having a stressful day as it has been the last few months. Why don't I just learn to cope with all of this.
I need to make another trip to see mom, and I don't feel well enough just yet to go anywhere. This is also stressing me on top of taking care of the grandkids and all. I wired mom flowers for Easter, she phoned all my sisters to tell them about the flowers but forgot to phone me, LOL, atleast I can laugh about that. I am grateful that my sister did say she thought they were beautiful.
Even though I know my mom has dementia, there are moments that I wish she was still the mom she use to be, don't we all? Take care..
Dorri, we all wish our loved ones did not have this disease and could continue to be the person that they were. We all wish this disease had not taken away the relationship we hold so dear. If wishes would change it then there would be no dementia! Just don't let it trap you in a cycle of distress. "It is what it is" sometimes seems old and cliche but it is where your brain needs to be. This is not something we can fix or even change the course of. To continue to dwell on what we have lost robs us of the time we have to enjoy what we have.
It is good that you can laugh about the flower response. Obviously she loved them because she remembered to tell a lot of people They stuck in her memory and she repeated herself to those that were close. Even if she didn't happen to tell you... she was telling you every time she said it. You sent them from your heart and that's all that matters.
You have heard me say it before. "You are what you think!" Every situation had a ying and yang. There is a way to accentuate the positive and lessen the negative. You can take out the "extreme" thinking and temper your thoughts so that they do not bring you down. As bad as this disease is I don't attach the word horrible. Unfortunate is a better word for me and though it is unfortunate it is doable. I have my moment when I would love to punch a paper face but those are the times I just adjust my thinking to better fit the situation and give me a positive boost into the next moments. I do look for the humor because that gets me through the tough moments. When it all seems too much... I do something special for myself to renew myself and come out running!
As for forgetting the dog... I would bet that is stress related. We forget, trigger the memory, and remember we have forgotten. That is different from the dementia blank of having no memory that it even happened. My prescription to you is a long hot bath with a book while you let hubby take out the dog and you children take care of your grandchildren
Thanks Deb, you are such a sweetheart and such a big help to everyone on this board including myself. ((HUGS)) P.S...now where did that dog go to...LOL just joking. Have a nice day.
it is always good to hear from you! The modern convenience of the telephone is frequently forgotten, not to mention that conversation becomes very difficult. Mom lost her ability to use the phone effectively. She would try to dial the remote, dial the wrong number, not know where the ringing was coming from, or pick up the phone and not know what to do with it. It seems so simple to us but to them it is a challenge. 
