Dena Shares Important Insights 

Living with Dementia

Here is another amazing post by a person living with dementia.  Dena Dotson is one of the Experts on Alzheimer’s Speaks educational webinar series called Dementia Chats which airs the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.  Please make sure to read and pass on.  The insights are powerful.  Dena is all about awareness and gave me permission to reprint this, as it was originally in a closed group on Memory People on Facebook.

I just wanted to make others aware of some things your loved one might be going through, which can cause so much frustration for them. For those of you that don’t know or not aware, I am a person with dementia. Also, please know that I’m not looking for any sympathy, only as I said, attempting to give others a view from as a patient. I do have as good and cheerful attitude as much as I can, but it’s challenging at times.

Putting something down, knowing that if you leave it there even for a second, it’s gone and you have to search for it like a kid looking for easter eggs. This happening over and over with no or very little let up.

Whether standing or sitting, getting a thought to go do something or get something. You stand up or turn around and you don’t have a clue why. This happening almost every single time you do it.

Getting so very tired of saying “I forgot” or “I don’t remember”.

Getting so tired of always hearing “Oh, I do that”, or “I know exactly how you feel”.

Being looked at or treated like a child (intentionally or not).

Every single thing in life now requires a password, knowing your birthday or social security number or something. Being afraid of even trying whatever it is, making a phone call, logging onto something, etc..or being humiliated and hung up on or not being able to log in to do or look at whatever your trying to.

Waking up exhausted because your dreams were so real and frightning, your tired as if you already had a full day.

And as I’m typing this, my husband asked me to text him a phone number. The minute I hung up the phone, I completely forgot. We did not talk long at all, only a minute. I told him I’d do it right away and meant it. I forgot. This or something similar plays out all the time.

The point of this is that, as so many of you know, these dementia’s touch every single aspect of your life. The saddest part is that with everything that happens to you throughout the day, you are aware at a very strong level that might fade with living with the disease, over and over why your struggling so bad. I know most of this happens earlier to middle of the disease, before and after the diagnosis.

I know that for many here, there loved ones are in the end stages and might not realize or deal with most of this, but things even worse. I’m sorry for that.

I sat for quite a while, having to backspace and fix errors, with some breaks that sometimes make it real hard to come back and focus again, typing this first in an email for spell check, then putting it here.

I would not wish this on anyone.

Love, peace & hugs to all of you!

Click on the logo above and scroll down below Dementia Friendly Businesses ans Communities to get to archived sessions of Dementia Chats and learn about upcoming programs.  All are FREE!