How to Recognize a Blessing

Just when I had begun to think self-sacrifice was a character trait of past eras I found and joined an online forum for caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s. What an amazing group of people! In a very short time I have gathered a wealth of information about AD from folks with first hand experience who are coping with this devastating disease in all its stages. And, because of this, I’ve had my faith in humankind somewhat restored.

Highlights of the many things I better understand now:

• My MIL (acronym for Mother-In-Law) has apparently been manifesting early signs of AD for a long time, perhaps even several years, that we have been summarily attributing to “old age”. But AD is not just old age dementia. It is a real disease of the brain that progresses so slowly it most usually cannot be detected in the early stages.

• The mainstream medical profession is really not up to speed with AD and an LO (Loved One) can often fool a physician as well as casual observers for quite some time, leaving the relative who will end up in the caregiver’s role in complete frustration and questioning his/her own sanity.

• AD education is sadly lagging behind other debilitating diseases and many ignorant, though well meaning, folks think you can reason with the one who is afflicted if you just show a bit more patience and try harder.

• AD impacts far more people than swine flu and is ALWAYS fatal. Where’s the media hype for AD?

Many things can exacerbate and even speed up the advancement of the progressive stages of AD, including illness, some medications, and surprisingly, anesthesia. In 20/20 hindsight, I can now think back to all the times she has had to be put under for cystoscopies in the last seven years in her battle with bladder cancer and a clear pattern of gradual disintegration directly linkable to anesthesia emerges, right up to the last cysto/biopsy this past July when we were in the hospital from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and her memory issues were at their very worse ever for weeks afterward. I can see a profound delineation in her mental decline from that date/event forward.

Finding the Alzheimer’s Association Online Community at http://www.alz.org was certainly a Godsend and I thank Him. Anyone who'd like to see what true heroism is should go in and read some of the posts. As we proceed with THE PLAN to move her to her new digs where she will be within steps of family and easier to monitor and care for, I know I will be able to find good advice and support from people who have been there/done that.

Blessings come in the most amazing ways.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5