g my grandmother off her Aricept because he thought she didn't need it. I said that whatever you want to call it, it's a degenerative brain disorder that grandma has and, though medications can't cure it, they can slow the process and increase the quality of life that she has remaining. He seemed to understand this and accept it, but my mother and aunt continue to be worried about their welfare (they both still live at home). Though I share their concern, I can't help but admire my granddad for his steadfastness, his courage, his wisdom - even though it's been tempered with a heady dose of denial. He's living the life that he's always lived - a proud and unrelenting one. An American life...
Showing posts with label grandmother. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grandmother. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
THE PASSAGE OF TIME
I had a good talk with my grandfather yesterday evening. He wants to believe that "there's no such thing as Alzheimer's" and bases this on something he says he saw on television. A federal judge, he related, threw out the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, telling the doctors who presented it that "you've been before me over 11 times now - I don't want to see you again!" A beautiful fantasy, but I reminded him of the reality of the dementia I had seen in my life and - most importantly - my grandmother's. "It's just old age," he said. My mom wanted me to talk to him because he was seriously thinking about takin
g my grandmother off her Aricept because he thought she didn't need it. I said that whatever you want to call it, it's a degenerative brain disorder that grandma has and, though medications can't cure it, they can slow the process and increase the quality of life that she has remaining. He seemed to understand this and accept it, but my mother and aunt continue to be worried about their welfare (they both still live at home). Though I share their concern, I can't help but admire my granddad for his steadfastness, his courage, his wisdom - even though it's been tempered with a heady dose of denial. He's living the life that he's always lived - a proud and unrelenting one. An American life...
g my grandmother off her Aricept because he thought she didn't need it. I said that whatever you want to call it, it's a degenerative brain disorder that grandma has and, though medications can't cure it, they can slow the process and increase the quality of life that she has remaining. He seemed to understand this and accept it, but my mother and aunt continue to be worried about their welfare (they both still live at home). Though I share their concern, I can't help but admire my granddad for his steadfastness, his courage, his wisdom - even though it's been tempered with a heady dose of denial. He's living the life that he's always lived - a proud and unrelenting one. An American life...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
a visit to my aunt's house for Father's Day
I spent a couple of hours at my aunt's house today with my mom's side of the family. Mostly, we were there to honor my grandfather, the celebrated World War II veteran and pillar of my family for many many years. From left to right, here's my mom, my granddad and my grandma all posing for a pic:
Can you believe that my granddad is 88 years old and that my grandmother is 84? Jennifer has often jested that I'm descended from a line of elves...
And yes, I brought that champagne you see in the foreground. It was Chandon - good crispy stuff!
My grandmother is going through some early stage Alzheimer's right now, and it's quite tragic. So far, the Aricept has been staving off the inevitable, but unfortunately we all know that her illness is just that - inevitable... I owe them so much love for the love and kindness they have shown me over the years, and I feel powerless in the face of this disease of forgetting that is slowly encroaching... All we can do is enjoy days like we had today when grandma was so much like her old self. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, my friends...
As a sidelight, here's a squirrel that came to drink from Debbie's birdbath. The picture looks kind of faded because I took it looking through a screen door...
Can you believe that my granddad is 88 years old and that my grandmother is 84? Jennifer has often jested that I'm descended from a line of elves...
And yes, I brought that champagne you see in the foreground. It was Chandon - good crispy stuff!
My grandmother is going through some early stage Alzheimer's right now, and it's quite tragic. So far, the Aricept has been staving off the inevitable, but unfortunately we all know that her illness is just that - inevitable... I owe them so much love for the love and kindness they have shown me over the years, and I feel powerless in the face of this disease of forgetting that is slowly encroaching... All we can do is enjoy days like we had today when grandma was so much like her old self. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, my friends...
As a sidelight, here's a squirrel that came to drink from Debbie's birdbath. The picture looks kind of faded because I took it looking through a screen door...
Monday, June 7, 2010
The end of a quick day, and another piece of the puzzle...
From my perspective, it can truly be said that time flies. My work day went by without a hitch, and as usual I had many conversations with different folks whom I find fascinating.
Since I didn't have anyone to see at the clinic this evening, I went by to see my grandparents again. My grandmother was in a better place today. She didn't really say much but was at least able to recognize who I was, and she would giggle about simple things. My father came with me, and mostly we just talked to my granddad. He told us one detail of the fabric of his life which I was unaware of tonight - it is for these bits of information that I am the most attentive. His father was named Hiram Taylor, and it has long been a part of our family history that Hiram left my great-grandmother with many children and moved out to California on his own. My grandfather never forgave him for this. He told us tonight how one day when he was on an air base during the war, he was told he had a visitor. That visitor turned out to be his father, who at this time was driving a really nice Buick and doing well for himself. Apparently Hiram knew some celebrities out in Hollywood (which my granddad couldn't remember the names of) and wished to take my granddad out to see them, but my granddad refused. He also tried to give him $40 upon leaving. "That was a lot back in those days... but I wouldn't take it..."
Since I didn't have anyone to see at the clinic this evening, I went by to see my grandparents again. My grandmother was in a better place today. She didn't really say much but was at least able to recognize who I was, and she would giggle about simple things. My father came with me, and mostly we just talked to my granddad. He told us one detail of the fabric of his life which I was unaware of tonight - it is for these bits of information that I am the most attentive. His father was named Hiram Taylor, and it has long been a part of our family history that Hiram left my great-grandmother with many children and moved out to California on his own. My grandfather never forgave him for this. He told us tonight how one day when he was on an air base during the war, he was told he had a visitor. That visitor turned out to be his father, who at this time was driving a really nice Buick and doing well for himself. Apparently Hiram knew some celebrities out in Hollywood (which my granddad couldn't remember the names of) and wished to take my granddad out to see them, but my granddad refused. He also tried to give him $40 upon leaving. "That was a lot back in those days... but I wouldn't take it..."
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