Alzheimer's Canyon: November 2018

Monday, November 26, 2018

Sky: Does This Strategy Have a Chance?

I’ve noticed a common thread among many of us of us living on the dementia continuum. As our short-term memories decline, so do our skills at handling conflict and stress.

Small bumps in the road that we previously would have cruised right through or maybe not even noticed, now turn into mud pits with DANGER flags flapping wildly. One of my first signs of neurological trouble occurred early on in the renovation project two years ago when I happened to overhear two workers talking about their schedules, when they were available for the following week. For some completely unknown reason, I found this conversation threatening, and I made tracks out of there!

Monday, November 5, 2018

Sky: Baby

The other day, Jane and I were at the University of Vermont (UVM) as guest speakers for a class on Aging and Human Development. I was tickled to find out that the students’ assignment was to read the blog …Yes….THIS Blog …and create some questions for us.

The class was a seminar, small and intimate, with 8 undergraduate students. Perfect conditions for the emotional spillage that was to come..… It started when a young woman asked about the picture of the baby with a poem I had written called Soothing:

With my hands, I fashion

my own cradle
For a hurting brain.

I included the photo simply because it was too powerful NOT to include it. Hands tenderly holding the ridiculously vulnerable newborn, all wrinkly skin and undeveloped brain.

The hands take the very familiar protective position that I find myself in when the world threatens to overwhelm. I can’t take my eyes off this baby. There’s some meaning here that I’m almost, but not quite, getting. Fortunately, Jane is running the class at this point, so I don’t need to worry about my lapse, unless I take too long to return.

And then, suddenly, I get it. And I’m back. I’m mesmerized by this baby because…she is MY baby! Her brain still just partially developed, she is content (for a moment) to turn her gaze fully to mine and soak up her brand new world through my eyes.

Somehow, we were made for each other, though we are both so new to our worlds…vulnerable, open and not real smart yet.

Wow!!! What next?

Tips on Reading Alzheimers Canyon

As of May 2018, there are now over 100 subscribers to our blog. And by "our" we mean not just Sky and Jane, but also everyone who reads and generally follows along with this journey into dementia. We read every single comment you all add with great interest. Please feel free to chime in.

We've learned a lot from your comments and expect to learn more as the journey unfolds. We've found it is too much try to reply individually to each comment on the blog, especially in a timely manner.....remember... some of these words, like the brain behind them, may have "loosed their anchors to time."

For new or bemused readers, this blog has two simultaneous threads going on at the same time. Some written by Sky, who is living with a diagnosis of "Probable Early Alzheimer's Disease." Some are written by Jane, who has been living with Sky for over 30 years. She holds the complicated position of primary care-partner.

The bulk of the posts are reflections on real-life challenges, adventures, surprises and their attendant emotions and changes. When you open the blog you will see a small selection of a small selection of the most recent posts. Most of these lead to a READ MORE button which will get you to the rest of the post. Feel free to jump around.

The other part of the blog is a more fantastical story, called Alzheimer's Canyon, about a regular guy, innocently traveling life's highway, who unexpectedly ends up in an exceedingly bizarre place called Alzheimer's Canyon. It is important to read these episodes in order. Here's how: Scroll down to the list called LABELS, on the right-hand sidebar. Click on the Label called Alzheimer's Canyon and you will see all the episodes. Don't forget to visit them in order, starting with "The Arrival." All the other episodes will be obvious from the number in their titles.

Keep in touch...