Support

I would like to begin all of this with a big fat disclaimer.The truth is that my original intent here was to document my experience caring for my husband's mother. However, as I began to really explore the reason behind putting myself out here (something I never imagined myself doing), I realize that not only am I looking for support from others who have had similar experiences with a family member, but I also hope that our story might help someone else see the value in opening your home to someone in need.

My plan at this point is to spend some time each day documenting current events using this a a type of journal to track how things are progressing; spending time on both positive and negative aspects of living with someone afflicted with this disease. I also want to spend time daily documenting her story. Alma loves going through her photo albums and talking about her family history. I believe that writing her story and having her share her story can be a valuble peice to helping her move as gracefully as possible through this journey.
Alma was about 48 when Keith and I got married. She had her mother, also stricken with Altzeimer's, living with her and I was recruited to help out while Alma worked. Alma was a quiet woman and somewhat standoffish. I always assumed she didn't like me. However, she was wonderful with our daughter, Kaiya was always there for us whenever we needed anything; a quiet source of strength and support.

She always believed that she would eventually develop this disease. Maybe there were little signs that she saw way before any doctor could diagnose her. She spent those years planning for the onset of the disease. A few years after her mother passed away, she went to a local clinic on aging and began being assessed on a yearly basis. It was about ten years ago when she disclosed to us that she had been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Disorder and would eventually slip into dementia. Over the next ten years there would be several incidents that have led us to where we are now. More on that later.