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Does It Ever Get Easier?
My mother had a severe stroke that left her unable to speak, eat or drink, or function. She was brought home to Hospice and passed away two weeks later, on October 13, 2020. Then my dad, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about five years earlier, had a stroke Christmas Day of 2020. I had taken early retirement to…
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Mom
My Mom passed away in January and I'm still having a hard time getting over this. My brothers are mad at me because after taking care of my Mom, no help from anyone, for 10 yrs I couldn't do it anymore. They are mad because I put her in a memory care place. She had to pay cash and my brothers were mad because it was using…
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July 22, 2023
I never knew when the day would come that I would lose my grandmother, but sadly it has been barely a week since she had passed. I joined this community around 5 days before her passing, but had hoped we’d have at minimum, 2 weeks left with her, but timing was different than we had imagined. in my other post, I had…
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Strong maternal genetics to Alzheimer’s
I am 29 and recently lost my mom to Alzheimer’s. She had early onset around 50-52yo. I was the one who got her diagnosed but was not around for the worst/later stages. She didn’t make it to 60yo. As a baby, I remember my maternal great grandmother had late onset Alzheimer’s as well. And within the past couple years my…
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Mama
On June 29, 2023 my mama passed away at 8:22 pm. I had been her full-time caregiver for almost 7 years. During that time I was also a college student. I saw my mama everyday during her illness. I didn’t want her to go on the journey alone. She was on in-home hospice for almost 2 years. The hospice my mama was with I feel…
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Anger
My mother passed away at the end of April. She was in a MC facility and on hospice. For the last 4 years, it has been only my husband and I taking care of her (medical needs and finances). My sisters did not help. There were several attempts to get money from her and bullying her to get whatever they wanted from her…
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How to cope with loss of grandmother.
My 93 yr old grandmother passed away on 6/10/23. She lived with us for around 7yrs and was in hospice care for 6 months before she was moved into a facility right after Easter. Her dementia had gotten worse and she needed 24hr care, which we couldnt provide any longer. I know what we had to do what was in her best interest…
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Still the same
I’m still sitting here in my “mothers” house. I haven’t moved out yet almost 4 mos after her death but I have to and I really don’t want to. It’s actually my husband’s and mine which we purchased many years ago. It sits directly behind our marital home and we acquired it as a rental and also for possibly a home for our…
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Still feeling the loss
I haven’t visited the forum in several months. I mainly visited the Spouse and Partner forum, but I no longer find it applicable. My wife died 6 months ago after 15+ years of struggle with EOD. The disease robbed her of her career, her marriage, her memories and finally her life. The time of our lives when we should have…
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It does not stop
....sometimes it just washes over me. Yesterday I was at my accountants office and the slow tears started. When asked, all I could reply was that I miss my husband. They nicely asked if he had been the one to handle financial matters. I laughed and replied "who, Peter Pan. No but he was always there with a pat on the back…
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Observations
So it's been a week since my Dad died of this wretched disease. The day before and the day of his death I experienced the most searing raw pain and grief I have every experienced in my life. It rocked me to my core, brought me to knees and I couldn't imagine sustaining that level of pain. Enter the day after, numb. Sad and…
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AFTER
My WF passed on August 5 of 2022. During the two hard years before that I had been in regular conversation with my ex-wife from 44 years ago whose husband died of Alzheimer's in 2021. As many of you know well, nobody really understands what it's like if they haven't been there. When my DW passed, she had been completely…
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Stage 8 Tributes
To Rick and others in stage 8. May you find comfort knowing that you were loved and appreciated by your LO, even though communication of such may not have been apparent. May the angels guide you one step at a time as the days come and go. My heart goes out to you. My dad once said to me after my mom passed away, “She will…
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Is it True - after Alzheimer’s
(Copied from Caregivers of Spouses and Partners strand) I’m reading Patti Davis’s (daughter of Pres. Reagan) memoir, “Floating in the Deep End: How Caregivers Can See Beyond Dementia, and she asserts “that once Alzheimer’s enters your life, it never really leaves”. I’m wondering, for those of you have had a partner/spouse…
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Missing my DH Jesse
I miss my DH Jesse. Alzheimer's robbed him of his adventurous spirit and his independence. He died on 4/5/2022. My love for him goes on. I am grateful I got to be his wife and share his life.
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Seeking Resources for Younger Caregivers
Hello. I was a caregiver for my father from 2013-2017, while I was in my mid 20s. At the time I felt very isolated in this experience and would love to hear about any resources or support groups for both current and former care givers of parents, partners, etc. who are in their 20's or 30's. Any resources would be very…
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Dad passed away almost two weeks ago
My dad suffered from dementia for years. My mom cared for him up until last year when he fell and broke a hip and was subsequently hospitalized. From there the dementia worsened and along with other health problems he had to be put in memory care. I live 3000 miles away and went back as often as I could to visit. At first…
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Oh, trying to get used to my new normal and hoping for some pointers
Thank you for letting me vent - I am still trying to breath! I have not been on this site for many months and appreciate any tips you may have. My DH passed away almost 7 months ago. After a brief stay in a hospital to try and get his meds stabilized, I brought him home two days before he passed, Thank God for this! I am…
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One day after my dad's funeral
I sit here the day after my father’s funeral looking at the death certificate that shows “Alzheimer’s” as the direct cause of death. It hits me like nothing ever has. There were contributing factors, but that was the listed sole direct cause of death. While I knew that he had “early” Alzheimer’s, as well as dementia from a…
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I miss my mom(1)
It hasn’t quite been six months since mom left. Since she left, I packed and sold two houses, mine and hers. I take care of my dad- we all moved cross country from California to Tennessee. I so wish I could just pick up the phone and talk to her. Or just give her a hug and hear her voice. Some days I do ok, other days I…
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Advanced stages go this quickly?
Just lost my precious Dad. 7 years Alzheimers and was progressing. Needed help with dressing, gait getting unsteady , but still talking and feeding self. Wanted to just be on couch a lot. Was absolute sudden when drooling and couldn’t swallow. Speech slurred when asked to repeat sentence. Thought was stroke but hospital…
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Losing your beloved DH.
Today I lost my husband of 41 years. You know its coming but it ends so fast. I'm probably in shock and can't truly comprehend that he is gone but it will hit me sooner than later. I logged into this site 2 days ago and have felt some relief that so many caregivers feel the same emotions I have had over the last 8 years.…
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Medical Marijuana: Anyone w/ experience?
I've been on the regular caregiver's board, but likely should have been here. I'm a 69-year-old man.. My Mom was 91. I was her primary caregiver for two years. She passed two days ago. My heart literally hurts. It's the dull hurt one has during extreme sadness, located just a little left of the center of the chest. She was…
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How to pack up and move on?
Mom passed on 12/20/22. I know it’s early but Ive got to think about this. So far I’m just living in moms house with her cat. There’s no real hurry, fortunately, because we own the house she lived in these last 2.5 yrs, but all her stuff?! When we moved mom so I could care for her, we basically picked her household of 60…
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The loss is SO final!
I'm new here - I joined after losing my father this July 4. He suffered from Alz and multiple pulmonary health issues which is what ultimately took him. In some sense, I consider us blessed because there was a lot of Alz left to run its course when he passed - he still knew who we all were and was able to communicate, but…
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Alzheimer’s Grief Support
Is there a site where I can connect with caregivers that have lost a spouse with dementia for Grief Counseling?
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advice how to help dad move on after passing of spouse with dementia
Hello, A close friend lost his mother to dementia about 9 months ago. My friend's father (85 year old)- the surviving spouse- has had a difficult time coping and finding purpose and meaning since his wife's passing. His father still drives, but has physical problems, and he speaks only Spanish- which limits his social…
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I remember when
I am having a hard time sleeping tonight. Next week it will be 2 years since I lost my love. I was thinking of him so I got out my phone and played our song. Unchained melody by the Righteous Brothers. As it played I remembered us dancing and him singing softly the words of the song. Somehow I felt closer to him.
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From Grief into Action
Trust in God and do something. —Mary Lyon It's important to let ourselves grieve as a passage between yesterday and tomorrow. But we do not have to be controlled unduly by our grief, or our pain. There are times when we have grieved, surrendered to the heaviness, tiredness, and weariness of a circumstance long enough. It…
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FROM HENRI NOUWEN
The Blessing Hidden in Grief What to do with our losses? . . . We must mourn our losses. We cannot talk or act them away, but we can shed tears over them and allow ourselves to grieve deeply. To grieve is to allow our losses to tear apart feelings of security and safety and lead us to the painful truth of our brokenness.…