Taking Mom out to any public venue - the park, a restuarant, and (tonight) WalMart - can be compared to traveling around with a very cute puppy. People absolutely fawn over her! Tonight she rode around WalMart in her little black wheelchair and people just could not leave her alone. They stop to tell her how beautiful she is, how lovely and thick her hair is, how she has such wonderful dark brown eyes! They pet her head, stroke her arms and stoop down in front of her to hold her hands and compliment her. If we pass too closely to the bakery department, she is besieged with offers of free cookies. As we approach the check-out, the cashiers call out to her, "Over here, over here," they beckon, "I'm open." Then the gushing and fawning and complimenting begins all over again. She smiles and nods as they talk to her but I'm not sure how much she actually takes in. I tease her as we exit the store and say, "You see, I bring you along 'cause you get us such good service." She smiles and nods again. She is happy.
Tonight while we were there we ran into an old neighbor, Terri. Terri lived in the same condo building as we did when we had the condo. For fifteen years we were neighbors and saw each other almost daily. Mom did not remember her, not one little bit. She does not remember the condo or anything about it at all. I am always amazed when things like this happen by how much she has forgotten. Terri handled it with the grace I would expect from her; but still it had to be shocking to her; to be forgotten like that.
This is what Alzheimer's is. This is what Alzheimer's does.
Tonight while we were there we ran into an old neighbor, Terri. Terri lived in the same condo building as we did when we had the condo. For fifteen years we were neighbors and saw each other almost daily. Mom did not remember her, not one little bit. She does not remember the condo or anything about it at all. I am always amazed when things like this happen by how much she has forgotten. Terri handled it with the grace I would expect from her; but still it had to be shocking to her; to be forgotten like that.
This is what Alzheimer's is. This is what Alzheimer's does.
