When trying to decide what to write for a new entry, I think about what I would find interesting and what new information I could share that may be interesting to others. I would’ve had a tough time trying to come to that decision even if I didn’t have Alzheimer’s, but because of my “foggy times” and my “dark, extra-confused times,” it makes it all the more difficult.

Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, I decided to write about what I know best and that is, how I feel and how I act when Alzheimer’s sucker punches me straight in the face.

Welcome to the Dark Side!

Below you will read an excerpt from a presentation I recently gave:

(Taken from my Cognitive Resilience Presentation given at the Generational Resilience Conference in Mobile, AL)

Before I was diagnosed, I pretty well knew the outcome by seeing in myself what I saw in my family members. The difference was I was younger and I was a fighter. I was not going to take this lying down.

I have to say, knowing something and then hearing the clarification of that something is 2 different things. You think you’re ready for it,  but it sneaks up on you like a sucker punch.

Imagine associating a positive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, or a positive diagnosis of any disease for that matter, to a boxing match. It’s like receiving an unseen, right hook, right on the chin!

You fall to the mat, you hear the Referee start the count … 1,2,3 …

you try to get up,  but you can’t move, you’re just numb … 4,5 …

you shake your head trying to get a little bit of  clarity … 6,7,8 …

the numbness starts to fade … 9 …

you hear a voice screaming at you saying, “GET UP! YOU SAID YOU WEREN’T GOING TO TAKE THIS LYING DOWN! DO NOT LET THIS BEAT YOU!”

You realize it’s your own voice screaming at you hearing the words you said to yourself earlier.

You find a strength you never knew you had and you rise to your feet before the count gets to 10.

Now I know that was a bit dramatic, but I’m trying to prove a point. It is dramatic. It’s a life-changing moment. You realize your life just changed, and not for the better.

My 10 count lasted about 2 days, curled up in a ball in my bed, while I envisioned my Grandfather, my Father, my wife’s Grandmother and my Mother, not as they were before the disease took them, but at the worst part. I was at a big pity party, and I was the only guest. I kept asking to no one, “How had this happened to me?” “Why had this happened to me?”

Well, since no one was there to answer questions which I knew had no answer, I had to take my own advice and get up before the referee made it to 10. There was no way I was going to be counted out.

You see, it’s not just me that I have to think of. I’m married to my best friend, the love of my life. I can’t quit on her!

I have two step-children, who I don’t call step-children. My daughter is 21 and my son is 15. They lost their Dad back to heart disease in 2009. There’s NO WAY I can quit on them!

So, each and every day when I wake up, I get up and make a difference.

It seems like more than a year ago when I received my diagnosis. A lot has happened since then and a lot of it has been positive, however, there has been some dark, difficult times.

I operate on a schedule, a schedule that resides on my phone, a schedule that I wrote about in my previous post “There’s a Reason it’s Called: The Easy Way.” If it’s not on that schedule, if I am not reminded what I am supposed to do that day and when I’m supposed to do it, there’s a good chance it won’t get done. The same goes for the unexpected things that pop up.

I know you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff ‘cuz it’s All Small Stuff.”  Well, the same cannot be said for me. I’m not going to speak for everyone for I know everyone reacts differently, so I will just speak for myself. Because of the DNA I received from my Father, my temper has always been a bit short. I can hear some people saying, “SHORT? Are you kidding me? Short doesn’t even come close!” I like to call it “being passionate” but that usually also gets a laugh.

What I’m trying to get at is, I worked very hard to control my temper. No one needs to hear or see that, especially if they have never been around that type of person before.  I did pretty well, only exploding every once in a while. Since my diagnosis, it happens more often. I don’t think it does because I can no longer remember when it happens or how many times it happens. So, I ask. It happens more times than I would like.

One of those times was this morning. I’m not going to get into the details. All I will say it was a very small insignificant thing and I exploded. I exploded all of my wife, all over my daughter and I would’ve exploded all over my son, but he was still sleeping. I even exploded all over #DallasTheDog! It was not only unfair to them but unacceptable to me. Just because I have Alzheimer’s does not give me a free ticket to treat them in a disrespectful way.

Once I realize what I’ve done, when I see the looks of pain and sadness on their faces, I go into my dark place. My mind becomes a darkened sphere of sadness. I think about what I have done, the words I have said (shouted) and try to figure out a way to apologize.

When I re-enter into reality, I do apologize, but it is THEY who make me feel whole again. They hug ME, telling ME it will alright, telling ME how much they love me.  I tell them how hard I have worked to keep everything under control and I know I haven’t exploded or complained in a long time, only to be told it was “just a few days ago when you . . .” or “well, it was just last week when you . . .” They do this not to throw it in my face, but because I asked them to tell me. They don’t like to because they know it will make me sadder than what I already am, but, like everything else they do for me, they do that also.

This is just one instance of what happens. It’s mainly one instance because it’s all I can remember right now. I know if I asked I could fill up pages, but I’ll save that for my book!  😉

The reason I write about this is because, when I am seen in public, I appear to be a polished, educated Alzheimer’s Advocate who can speak eloquently about my Alzheimer’s experiences. I am for the most part, because my long-term memory allows me to call upon my Public Relations days when I could speak about anything and everything. The only difference now is rather than speaking off-the-cuff, I read my words from a script. It sounds polished only because I practice over and over again, but by the time I get to the actual presentation, I have forgotten what I have practiced and the long-term PR memory kicks in. The days of learning and retaining anything new are over.

I wish the days of my darkness were over but I have the feeling they have only just begun. Whenever I am speaking of my Alzheimer’s, I mention that the person with Alzheimer’s is not the only person that is affected by the disease. In my case, it’s my family who, not only loves me unconditionally, but cares for me unconditionally, and does so under the radar.

They embrace me on my good days as well as on my dark days. They and I both wish for the dark days to be less. In my mind they are, but in their reality, I have come to find out they are not. All I can do is try that much harder. I just hope my brain understands what it I am trying to do.

 

Until next time,
PEACE!!!

B
Pensacola, FL