It’s another one of those losses. We once went to movies, watched TV series, and enjoyed outings together. Burt would have enjoyed The Marvelous Mrs Maisel with me. Now I’m seeing it as respite when he’s asleep. He can no longer follow any plot. He’s way past the point where he would get the humor.Continue reading “Where our lives diverge”
Author Archives: therealtamara
You know the phrase
I love him to pieces. You Know that feeling. You’veSaid it before. Now, I alsoSay, “I love him in pieces.”As he falls away, stumblesIn his mind, loses his way.Reasoning is gone, his andMine; I, too, am less rationalI, too, am lost or losing myPath forward. I, too, am soEmotional that I can cry in AnContinue reading “You know the phrase”
Psychosis
Cognitive function, executive function, bradyfrenia, autonomic system, bradykinesia. There are so many impairments as Lewy bodies take over, and our loved one declines. Psychoses. There’s a scary word. And those are the hardest aspects of LBD to manage. I watch out for falls. Hold onto him for dear life sometimes to maneuver him onto aContinue reading “Psychosis”
Stay calm
My role as a caregiver to a person with [Lewy Body] dementia demands I get acquainted with psychosis. A calm and contained demeanor is preferred to one in which I freak out. In a tour of an exhibit in which art and psychiatry crossed paths, it became clear to me that the psychotic makes meContinue reading “Stay calm”
The impact of dance
Dr. Julia Basso studies the effect dancing and movement have on brain health. She says (and I quote loosely) that even watching dance has a positive impact. Watch this YouTube video interview for more from Dr. Basso on what she has documented about the healing power of movement. Full disclosure Dr. Basso is my dearContinue reading “The impact of dance”
Burt’s on top of it
The “job search” seems to have ended in a mystery job. Mystery to me, at least, but it is vague to Burt as well. He wants me to get him business cards (albeit they’re round, as he describes them). He assigns numbers to his staff, and I am #1 tomorrow, then #2 the next day,Continue reading “Burt’s on top of it”
Going Up
Burt is cognitively more engaged these last couple of weeks. The rescheduled morning meds might be partially responsible. Of course, I am grading on a curve. Burt’s daughter asked me about the multiple wives over the weekend. This reminded me that it appeared that he recognized me more often. There are still occasions when heContinue reading “Going Up”
Still working it out
The dominant theories right now include
Feeling Useful
The desire to help out is about being able to still be a part of the life we had. It’s natural to want to contribute as you once did. This has been a thread in one of my support groups. It has belatedly turned on that old light bulb (duh). “Aha, that explains why BurtContinue reading “Feeling Useful”
Taking it to the streets
We are still scheduled to walk virtually with CaringKind on Oct 19th in CentralPark. You may throw some support to Team Burt here at the link for a fundraising page for sponsorship of our passive walking: https://give.caringkindnyc.org/fundraiser/5610000 Promoting or joining othet walks: The Alzheimer’s Association has walks all across the country. Their Manhattan walk isContinue reading “Taking it to the streets”
this is our life 