The Daughter Hat…
Having a mom with Alzheimer’s makes you realize that you must cherish each and every moment as you live them… There is no predictor that lets you know when and if they can be wiped away. So this weekend I am heading to SC to hang with my mom Ms. Lil while my dad attends a business trip.
Making memories for me and the kiddos with Ms. Lil is What it’s All About! We are dancing and singing and being silly making new memories each moment of each day.
Let’s get you up to speed on Alzheimer’s… here are some facts from my greatest resource www.alz.org .
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.
Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. Approximately 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease (also known as early-onset Alzheimer’s).
Alzheimer’s worsens over time. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
We are at the point where we have to direct everything she does but we make it fun with laughs and silly faces all day long. Her steps may be slower but her “boogey is still good”, we set the tv to the blues channel and dance all day.
Alzheimer’s is a debilitating disease. For me, it affects the family members and friends worse than the person themselves. As a family we watch a vibrant, loving person go backward in time almost to infancy. In quiet moments it hurts my soul but at the end of the day, I know that God has a reason for everything and everything that happens has a reason.
So for now, we Make Memories every day and I am begging you to do the same!!
