I don't seem to be the only one of my peers/friends/acquaintances with this quote. I have waited for it for years, and just saw it the other day from a dear friend. You never know when it will happen, and from my point of view you aren't really prepared for the first encounter of the blank kind. It may be talking about you personally in 3rd person, or just a look- when coming from someone so close to you only you can realize that there is a disconnect.
According to the Alzheimer's Association- People with Alzheimer’s die an average of four to six years after diagnosis, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years. In my father's case- this disease has been progressing for almost over 5 years. I know that an emergency surgery that he had at 90 years old- 5 years ago, did not do us any favors. Although it saved his life from a ruptured appendix- the general anesthesia for a man of 90 years old was a noticeable problem. 3 weeks after the surgery, he couldn't remember how to play a game that we had played for years. We, the children, wrote that off as a "re-boot" of his brain- after all most everything was "normal" for a man of 90. He still got up every morning- got dressed, shaved, walked, made breakfast, so all was good.
Little slips were just chalked up to being tired, we did too much on visits, he was just trying to ask questions to make sure he understood what was going on. He was engaged and proactive about taking care of himself... or so we liked to believe.
I went to a continuing education class 5-6 years ago. I concurred with so much of what was said- the first step from living alone in one's own home to independent living was a change that was better accepted when done by the person (parent) directly than the children.
That was the first turn- moving from the family home to independent living.....
More later.
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