Dementia .... or is it just me?

 Dementia... be sure to understand that the following share is not to make fun or diminish the sadness and complete loss that we feel for our beloved family members. It is a horrible disease that completely ruins a life/life. I share a heavy subject that can have a humorous/sweet side for my children to see. 

I have a few important people close to me that are now struggling with some impairments or perhaps dementia or some such things. I was speaking to one caregiver and he suggested that this particular sweet person in question had sent us a package of things she thought we may want that once belonged to another family member. The discussion of how we got the package etc commenced. Apparently, she was not sure where the UPS or FedEx were located and found a random business. We concluded that she was probably so confused that she ended up in a corporate business shipping store and they probably realized she was so confused they just shipped the items for her... I can see it now, feisty little lady demanding they send this for her as they are a "shipping company."  I chuckle because that would be me. Demanding help when I KNOW they are a business and then realizing too late that I have made a mistake. Done something like that....augh.

Another caregiver of someone else we love called to update us on the things going on with the said person. Our conversation went something like this "she is fine if you are just talking for a bit with her but if you are with her longer, you start to see the cracks." The following stories were told...

1. She believes, not afraid though, that someone is living in her house and moving her things around. Her "brown" pants were hung up in the "black" pant section of her closet and that was just plain wrong.

2. The complete whole-hog belief that someone is siphoning off her donuts from the counter. The solution? Hide the donuts in several kitchen drawers and leave a stern warning note at the bottom of the box. 

3. Another absolute belief is that, as she sleeps, someone is consuming her prune juice. The answer? Spike it with hot pepper so that they will stop. 

4. Belief that it is a girl living there as her beauty products are not always replaced in the right spot. Sometimes the hair spray is in the drawer, not the cabinet.

5. She was given a tip by a retired Sheriff, who hoped that it would ease her paranoia, was to put tape on the outside of the door so that if it was broken when she was running errands, she could know for sure if someone was coming in and out. Unfortunately, a decision was made to put tape on all the indoor doors....the problem? She was using the doors and so breaking the tape in the process. 

I called my middle gal "Olive". We laughed together because we could relate and said that we could envision ourselves doing those types of things  NOW!!!  We decided that the oldest child will have to care for both of us as we struggle through life like that currently! I have always been a bit airy, especially with details. And I will suggest to you, I have fallen down, with very little explanation as to why,  several times, forgotten whole conversations, and cannot recall many events of life very easily. I will admit, after several weeks with Co-vid, I got the brain fog from it that only intensifies the absolute removal of any brain matter hard-earned over the years. 

So here we are. Living in an upside-down world and coping with the loss of family as we once knew them. 

I suggest that you go and do and make sure you spend time with your loved ones whether they know you or not.