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← Return to MCI: Trying to find our best path and what to do next
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MCI: Trying to find our best path and what to do next
Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: Oct 28, 2020 | Replies (29)Comment receiving replies
I hope you and your wife are moving along with whatever path you have chosen and are doing well. It is quite an adjustment in many ways. It sounds as though you two are able to talk and plan together which is such a blessing and wonderful. My husband and I are doing the same. Right now his diagnosis is early MCI. Sometimes I feel as though we are on a treadmill as we are trying to get as many plans in place as possible while he can participate. I'm very grateful that he is accepting, open and we can continue a team approach as we have our married life. Some parts of his thinking are not as sharp as they use to be, other parts I can see no difference. I have no idea how long this part of the disease will allow him to participate with me, but we plan to take advantage of each and every day. I agree with the person who wrote, "When you have seen one Alzheimer's patient, you've seen one Alzheimer's patient". It's a most perplexing disease; it seems that each person travels their own journey. Our outlook is to plan for the worse and hope for the best-along with enjoying each and every minute we have while being as pro-active as possible. I wish many enjoyable minutes for you and your wife as you plan for your future.
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Ann, I really like your comments "enjoying each and every minute we have ...." I was told about the book "Creating Moments of Joy" and got and read the book. It motivated me to plan to do that every day with my wife who has Alzheimer's disease. I found that many of the things that I did to create moments of joy for her also created moments of joy for me. For example, she and I are at the age where "Easy Listening Music" and Mantovani radio were favorites of ours on Alexa music. But one day I found her tapping her fingers to some ragtime music and we often enjoyed listening to Scott Joplin music too. Both the caregiver and the care receiver can have many moments of joy in the future.
I suggested that to a friend whose husband was becoming somewhat depressed because of his deteriorating health. He was a retired ag teacher. She took him on a tour of the farms around their town and he really enjoyed it and so did she.
Your point is very important. The Alzheimer's journey is sometimes difficult but it often can still be very enjoyable for the couple much of the time.