I have found that as our journey into the world of dementia goes deeper my world is definitely growing smaller. My husband no longer can attend a Respite program, nor will he accept any help coming into our home to stay with him while I go out (any helpful ideas on resolving that issue would be appreciated🙄), therefore leaving him for any amount of time has become almost impossible. My adult children help when they can, but he is not happy staying with them either. I am learning to have deliveries made, order everything possible on line, and schedule my necessary appointments around someone else’s schedule. We try to go to church on “good” days, but those days are determined at the last minute depending how his morning is going. I do have a group of friends that use to be “couple” friends that I try to meet for lunch monthly if I can. I have had to give up my dog’s therapy program that I have enjoyed so much, but I can’t schedule regular visits any longer. Taking him places with me has about come to an end as he is getting difficult about getting back into the vehicle after stops. I talk with family and friends on the phone, but it’s just not the same. I miss being able to spend time with my teenage grands. We use to take them to movies and out to eat and just spend good quality time with them…now their visits are few and not to often. It hurts them so that their Papa doesn’t seem to know them and cannot communicate with them. This new normal is so not what my husband would have wanted for us. He loved to get out and travel, he supported my interest, he never would have insisted I stay home with him day in and day out. It is living life with a toddler again who seems to know how to manipulate me very well. It is a hard road we are traveling on now…