I am going through the book (The 36-hour day)for a second time. I read through it very quickly when my grandma first came to live with us prior to "really" understanding what Alzheimer's is. Each topic, I will explain, and compare it to what we see with my grandma.
One of the greatest descriptions that I have seen is the following on p.g. 2 "Often, Mary was afraid, a nameless, shapeless fear. Her impaired mind could not put a name or an explanation to her fear. People came, memories came, and then they slipped away. She could not tell what was reality and what was memory of people past." This rings so true, it's as if they stole the words from my lips, only I did not know how to form them so I know they are not my own. This is one of the more painful scenarios of "Dimentia" it comes, and goes without warning, so you live with a constant fear never quite knowing what to expect. One thing it does not mention, is that the caregiver holds this same fear. As with many diseases, it oes not just affect the person diagnosed with it, but rather the family, and care giver as well. This fear is often the thing that keeps me from a restful sleep. When I go to bed I never know if that night will be the one that brings memories from long ago, or brings an uneasy feeling that causes her to stay awake as if on guard against a masked enemy.
Works cited: The 36-hour day by Nancy L.Mace, & Peter V. Rabins
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