Posted on Nursing Home Anniversary Eve, 10/9/19
It has been a long year for mom. She has rode the dementia roller coaster day-in and day-out for a year minus one today. Part of me feels like it has been a tremendously long year and another part of me feels like it has flown by. It reminds me of starting parenting all over again, except with unique challenges.
I need to take a day to process the meaning of tomorrow, if there is one, and I will post my reflections then. Sorry for the weak content here…
But some good news:
I would like to remind you, if you happen to be in the SW Missouri area, that Stacey and I start our free Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group next Tuesday the 15th at SeniorAge headquarters at 1735 S Fort Ave, Springfield, Mo. 65807. It will run from 6-7:30 pm with hopes that evening might be easier to find respite help. We hope to have in-house respite available next month with RSVP (the meetings will be the 3rd Tuesday of every month at this same time). If your 3rd Tuesday is booked, Pam does a great job in her 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month support group across town at the North Point Church (3401 W Norton Rd., Springfield, Mo.) or Carol does a great job the 1st Tuesday of the month in Willard. These are all found on the Alz.org website (register there if you want) and all three run from 6-7:30 pm. If you are in this hot mess, don’t shoulder the challenge alone. Pray. Seek friends and family for support…and find a support group or two. You need them and they need you. 🙂
The last 364 days have taken its toll on mom and the Sweet 17 (what is left of the originals…less than half). Here’s to hoping we can lighten the load, even a little, with our support groups for a bunch of folks in similar circumstances. Call or text me at (417-955-2513) or email me (mark.applegate@senioragemo.org) or comment here if you would like to join one of us as we brave these waters together, hand-to-hand. We simply gotta stick together to slay this giant.
#EndALZ
Update: Mom was ok yesterday…about the same. She is oblivious to her year anniversary at her nursing home and I am glad of that. I hate what this disease has done to her. Therefore I (we) advocate. Donate. Help. Pray. Serve. Hug necks. And I stall, hoping and praying for a cure before the clock strikes the end…
I loved seeing her beautiful smile and hearing her playing the piano and you and your brother holding her hands. God bless you.
Thank you! 🙂 She is a great mom 🙂