When a person with dementia ‘comes out’ about their diagnosis, and openly admits they are living with the symptoms of, and diagnosis of dementia, there are a number of reactions and responses. The person with dementia (PWD) is thrown into complete turmoil; anger, ‘why me?’, surely it can’t be true, let’s get a second opinion, … Continue reading »
Recently I posted Jennifer Bute’s story of being diagnosed with dementia. A couple of her quotes really stood out to me. The first quote is about compensating for the symptoms of dementia: ‘To compensate, I became ruthlessly efficient, writing everything down as soon as I had spoken to the patient and following up referrals immediately. However, I … Continue reading »
Having lost my mother in law to ovarian cancer in 2005, it was a sad first Christmas without my father in law. I can recall his and our tears that first Christmas without her. We spent it with my parents, partly because they are elderly now and we are lucky to still have them, and partly … Continue reading »
Published this week in DPS News was another inspiring article. Dementia: power of touch Wednesday, 14th November 2012 In Health & Wellness “A new approach to caring for people with advanced dementia is improving the quality of life for those who can no longer move and have limited capacity to communicate. University of Western Sydney … Continue reading »
I’ve published parts of the last two paragraphs of this blog before, but felt it worthy of re-blogging. Death and dying is a part of life, and the bonus of being given the possibility of a more finite time to live is that it does make you think very deeply about your life. Yes, I do believe it is … Continue reading »
My blog today was to be about what assets I still have, and the things my advocacy and blog are achieving, but after reading Remember the children in the Australian Ageing Agenda , I felt it too important a topic not to add this as my blog for today. It is not just after the … Continue reading »
I’ve been reading some Emily Brontë poems lately, and have thought about grieving and dementia in relation to her poem Remembrance. The danger of grieving is that the dead can become more real to you than the living, and you can love them more in death than when they were alive, somehow take more notice of … Continue reading »
Farewell Dad. We have family and friends attending the funeral for my father in law today, and yesterday my dear husband and I farewelled him privately at the funeral home. My husband and best friend, who is Dad’s eldest son, also has the same name, the 3rdgeneration to have been named Peter Watt, and all … Continue reading »
Writing the Eulogy and funeral service for someone you love is quite the emotional roller coaster ride. On the weekend we made plans to bury my father in law later this week, and have been given the job of writing the Eulogy and Funeral Service. Not stepping on toes is challenging. Being inclusive of everyone is … Continue reading »
This blog is a rambling discussion of life inside my heart. There are days when writing this blog has become a burden, but I continue to push myself as I firmly believe it is the right thing to do and that it is one of my ‘positive interventions for dementia’ that is helping. Yesterday I just could … Continue reading »
My blog today was meant to be a more light-hearted and happy one, but there has been a new development on my road of grief. This morning at 6.50am I received a text message to say another friend had died, a nursing friend from the 1980’s. She had only been diagnosed a few weeks ago, … Continue reading »
We were out shopping earlier today, and as we left home, I said to my husband I am in love with today! His retort was, what is so good about today with what is happening to you and us? No time was required to answer this as almost two years ago I was diagnosed with Motor Neurone … Continue reading »
OMG, isn’t life exciting! It opens up so many new doors, to so many new and interesting pathways and destinations. Some time after being diagnosed with a rare younger onset dementia, I decided to share my personal story of living with dementia and how I use it as motivation to live a fuller life. Being … Continue reading »
My life sometimes seems to have been so full of tragedy it has sometimes been hard to breathe. 26 years ago, a man I had loved took his own life. He was 35 years old, a successful doctor with a brilliant career and a life full of friends and family. I was 27. He suffered … Continue reading »
