A mom with Alzheimer's, The Beginning

So many of you have commented on my blog about my mom, that I decided to continue with it and tell you a little more of what we as a family have dealt with.


Mom did not just wake up one morning and have this, it was a slow progressive disease. The first time I noticed it was about 2006, my mom came to visit me for Christmas and I noticed that she was getting confused in my house, and would laugh it off and say, "I am always getting turned around." I said something to my step-father and he said that I was making a bigger deal out of it than necessary. A month later, my mom called me from Florida and she is laughing hysterically on the other end about strawberries in her cereal. After that we started the gammit of doctors and test, and trying to figure out where we were.

I will never forget the day the doctor told her she had Alzheimer's. My phone rang and it was my mom crying on the other end of the phone, and she said Amy, "They say I am losing my mind, what am I to do?" she was so scared, and the fear and the shaking in her voice, was that of a little child when they are very upset.

I found this question to be one that I could not answer. When some one gets a diagnoisis, there is usually a treatment, a way to fight, a way to feel like you are going to give the disease a run for its money. With Alzheimer's there is no way to fight back and that in its self is a very helpless feeling. Sure there are the memory drug medicines, but that is not something that will heal, or make it go away, it is just a way to slow down the disease.

I sat on the other end of the phone, in complete silence, my head swimming with emotions and questions and anger and sadness,and out of my mouth in a very calm voice I said to my mom, " Mommy it is ok, we will be in this together, and I will walk with you and then I will guide you." I got off the phone and sobbed, I was going to lose my mom.