Alzheimers steals lives | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Alzheimers steals lives

given a life, but deprived of the opportunity to live it

15
Alzheimers steals lives

When I saw her, she never said my name. Throughout my years with her, she had never addressed me in a manner that gave me any insight she could even recall whom I was…but she didn't need to. It was never necessary because each time I approached her, I saw it in her eyes. I knew that she knew me… in some way. Deep down in her, I meant something- I had to have. I found it in me to learn to love this woman solely on what I saw in her.

Loving another with Alzheimer's disease was one of the most devastating experiences I have ever endured. I was forced to watch my grandmother continue to suffer each day that passed.

My Grandmother was diagnosed about 10 years ago. It started slowly, and then all at once, almost as if it had always been there. I was too young to grasp what was happening when the news first arrived, although, even if I wasn’t, I know I still wouldn’t be able to understand exactly what had happened. It began with upset phone calls in the middle of the night because she couldn't remember what day of the week it was to attend Sunday mass, and ended with restless nights of screaming and crying while she banged on the exit door of the senior living home.

She moved from home to home in order to afford the costly supervision that was required with her case and they seemed to shrink each time she went, but the last home was the one I recall the most. It was awful. Almost like a box of a place, with plain white walls, one TV, and about six doors for patients’ rooms.

I remember a man who I saw every week that I visited my Grandmother in her last home. The man was a former soldier. He looked to be in his late 50’s and almost every time I saw him, I saw his wife. She was a woman about the same age, who spent her life loving the man she had committed her life to, while he loses more and more memory of her as each day passes.

And then there was Beth. Beth was a small old woman, whom I absolutely adored. She seemed to be so sharp — you would have never guessed that she was suffering, but each time I arrived she clutched different book to her chest. She read a different book each week for her last few years of life. I came to discover a type of beauty in this irony. A woman, who lived the same exact daily routine, which she forgets each day, but still manages to clutch a novel with thousands of different endings in it. A novel, which changed for her each time it opened. Maybe that was her escape.

I can vividly recall a certain moment with my Grandmother. It was a Christmas morning. After I hadn't heard her call me by my name for about two years now, I questioned whether or not she knew who I was at all. She looked at me and grabbed my hand while saying, "Mackenzie... nobody really knows nothin" and looked back up. The most accurate words of wisdom I've heard yet.

Loving another with Alzheimer's disease was one of the most devastating experiences I have ever endured. I was forced to watch my grandmother suffer on repeat for the last 10 years of her life.

Living with Alzheimer's is heartbreaking. It steals your ability to love, to appreciate those that have loved you, and to simply live the life we were given.

Living with my grandmother showed me the value of life. These people are given a life, but deprived of the opportunity to live it. Alzheimer's has changed me, and with the possibility of it running in my genes, I've promised myself to live every second until then, as it is my last.

In loving memory of Nana.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

178911
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6105
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451709
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22839
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments