Grieving a father

jayciembmalcom

My dad started showing signs of dementia when I was 14 & by the time I was 15 he was officially diagnosed. Both of his parents had it as well so I was fairly familiar with it. When he was diagnosed, I dedicated every single day to researching and learning as much as I could about the disease.i thought that if I prepared myself it wouldn’t hurt as much but obviously, I was wrong. I’m 22 now, and my dad passed away May 2023. I feel like we lost him twice. When he lost memory of us, and when he physically left. The week before he passed, we picked out our daddy daughter dance song for my wedding. (Sept) and then we weren’t able to have that moment. I’ve pretended that I’m handling it okay because I have two younger siblings (12,8) and I need to be strong for them,but I am honestly breaking so much. I’m hoping that by coming onto here I can connect with people who have experienced being a caregiver or having a parent deal with this disease and who can help uplift me, and find new ways to cope and deal with the loss of my daddy.

Jgirl57

Welcome to the forum and so sorry for your loss. There are many here coping with caregiving and grieving a loss. Others will chime in and tell of their experiences . I am caring for my husband with Alzheimer’s and I find comfort in this group. Hugs to you and your siblings and please be sure to share your feelings with your new spouse as you begin your new life together

Lgb35

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/67477/grieving-a-father

I lost my dad way too soon as well. It wasn’t from this horrible disease but from cancer. It is hard as life goes on and he is not there. It’s ok to allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. If you are trying to be strong for your siblings then you can go to a private place to cry but do let it out it’s part of the grieving process. I wish there was something I could say to ease your pain but unfortunately it takes time. Little by little the pain will be replaced with happy memories of your dad. There will also be times where the emptiness of his absence will come up again. It’s so hard to lose our Dads. Our rocks. Huge hugs for you❤️. Hang in there. You will get a lot of support from this group. I am so sorry you are going through this at such a young age🙏🏼

Mint

Im so deeply sorry Jgirl. I lost my dad too young too but not as young as you have. I’m also the oldest and understand you feeling the need to protect your younger siblings. Those younger siblings need to grieve also though, so it’s OK for you guys to grieve at times but it’s also great that you are also there for them. Hope you are sent someone to help supportI you too. Hope one day you think of your dad and smile, it will feel good. I personally find much strength in prayer..

Sunshine2024

❤️ and hugs to you and your siblings. It is so difficult losing a parent. Find ways to celebrate them! I lost many years to grief and February was the darkest month for quite some time. My parent would not want me to be sad so new traditions it was.

Cherjer

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/67477/grieving-a-father

I am so very sorry for the loss of your dear father and what you have gone through at such a young age. I can only imagine how hard this has been on you and your siblings. We who are dealing with our husbands and wives really do not understand what you have gone through and now dealing with this loss. Maybe there is a support group out there that have gone through something similar. My prayers for you and your family.