update

I write with a heavy heart today. Having visited my Mom and witness the changes that happened in 5 months time, since I was last here, have taken me by surprise. My Mom is 83, and she is in the beginning throes of dementia. Mom was a strong, vibrant, fiercely independent woman who had a kind heart, but was always at the steering wheel of her life. To see both the aging process, and this awful disease & how it steal’s your life away, bit by bit is very upsetting to say the least.

After a year in a care facility, we have to let go of her house, and that is what I am in the midst of @ this time. I had an incredible wave of sadness on day one of the house project. It just hit me like a ton of bricks. We are having to dismantle her space, and she is still with us, but not entirely. I hate the disease, and how unmerciful it is.

I know what we are doing is a labor of love, and that Mom needs 24 hour care. She is in exactly the correct place she needs to be in. She would rather live at home, but that would be neglectful. Seeing the major changes solidifies her need for care, more clearly than ever before.
We are in complete role reversal, where the kids are now the parents. I have always had a close relationship with my Mom, so it’s heartbreaking to watch her fade & go through these changes.

Crossposted at Ramblings