Dementia robs a person of his
or her mind, and then it takes the body.
It may take years, or perhaps a lucky person endures the robber for only
a few months.
The thief stayed with our daughter for over ten years. He crept in a few years earlier, but we didn’t notice him. It didn’t matter. We couldn't prevent his entrance. Even when I saw him stealing from our daughter, I couldn’t shoot him, arrest him, or shoo him away. I deterred him as long as I could. No matter what I did, Dementia is a bandit. He came slowly and never left.
He mocked me as I prayed and tried to stop him from destroying our daughter.
I failed. He took her.
Here's the bottom line!
He sometimes looks normal, but he's evil.
Dementia robbed me, too!And not just of our daughter.
I was tied down for ten years.
I worried. I prayed. I visited. I met with facility admins and doctors. I
stayed in the hospital with her many times when she was admitted. I paid bills.
Most often, family
members and caregivers don’t realize the bandit is devouring them, also.
This horrible gangster steals a caregiver’s health, money, energy, emotions, and
time.
Health, money, energy, and
happy emotions might be regained at some point.
But time is gone forever.
Why can’t solutions be found
for Alzheimer’s/Dementia? Researchers are trying, but results are few.
My suggestion for caregivers who live in the midst of a robbery are these:
1. Do what you can to help others.
2. Share your
experiences. If you can, give talks. Write a blog. Take an animal into a
facility. Play the piano for the residents in a care facility. Give money. Walk
for the cure.
3. Fight the thief. I know the
robber will win, but you can feel relief because you fought a good battle.