A JOURNEY OF CARING

It’s difficult to say exactly when Alzheimer’s took hold of my mother but with hindsight, I can only guess that it reared its ugly head about nine or ten years ago. At that time she was living alone and I was living abroad. I used to phone her regularly and nothing seemed amiss. She was always cheerful and was able to assure me that all was well.
When she first began losing weight I wasn’t overly concerned but when I realised that she was a dress size smaller every time I saw her, I took her to the doctor who cited depression and loneliness as possible causes. I also noticed that she was doing word search puzzles. I didn’t question her. It didn’t dawn on me that word searches were less challenging than crosswords which she had been doing for many years.
Then I learnt from her that things around the house were mysteriously disappearing while other things were found in the strangest places. So I took her to the doctor again and that’s when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I had taken it for granted that her forgetfulness was a normal part of ageing. I didn’t think for one minute that the deterioration in her memory, capability and to a lesser extent, mobility were signs of more devastating changes and incidents to come. This spritely, do-it-yourself person had unknowingly been taken over by Alzheimer’s disease.
I lived miles away nevertheless the worry and concern about my mother’s health, safety and wellbeing became overwhelming. I felt helpless. I questioned myself. There were no easy answers. Long distance caregiving increased my stress levels. So to relieve the stress on me and my relatives, I’m now back home as Mum’s primary caregiver. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
 -Ann Smith
Dated August, 2013 edited June, 2016