It might have been prescient anticipation of the advent of Lewy into our home, but I never had the forbearance to enjoy the saga of Quixote. His delusional tilting at windmills always annoyed me. The musical rendition of his story does offer some gorgeous musical flights, however. One New Year’s Eve, Burt bought tickets forContinue reading “Windmills”
Author Archives: TheRealTamara
A day off
Burt was asleep all morning and now all day. His aide and I shared the space, texting and reading on our phones. After an hour and ½ trying to stir him, I decided to make Sunday a respite afternoon. I went to cast my ballot. Called some of my peeps, enjoyed the crispness of theContinue reading “A day off”
It’s the money, honey
Caring for a family member with dementia can be heartbreaking and difficult in so many ways. One of the hardest tasks may be protecting them from ruining their finances as their condition deteriorates. Research shows that those with dementia often show signs of financial trouble years before diagnosis. Left unchecked, their unpaid bills, gratuitous spendingContinue reading “It’s the money, honey”
Caring while under…
Yesterday, it appears, the combo of an RSV shot on Monday and a Covid booster on Friday made me feel crappie. My body ached, and my temp was slightly elevated. Of course, both my arms hurt at the injection sites. Mildly unwell as I was, I was hard pressed to show patience; I skimped on preppingContinue reading “Caring while under…”
A deep dive
In the abstract, I am fascinated by the mechanisms of Burt’s disease. In reality, the manifestations of Lewy Body are overwhelmingly sad. Trying to deduce patterns is part of my close study into all things Burt. I want to see what prompts his irrational conclusions and how his fantasies develop. There probably is no pattern,Continue reading “A deep dive”
Management
Most nights, I’ve been going to bed at 8 o’clock since I can never be sure if Burt will awake in the middle of the night. We’ve had several 4am chatfests. I am generally bone tired by 8 from keeping farmer’s hours. I awake early, thanks to going to bed early. It’s a cycle. SleepContinue reading “Management”
Oranges
They brought us oranges today. The “they” are the lovely people who cater our Meals on Wheels. I love oranges, but they’re work to prepare. This evening, as I looked at the orange in anticipation of cutting and peeling, I remembered that my mother always prepared my oranges for me. Years ago, when I sharedContinue reading “Oranges”
In the public eye
This occurred to me today: It is not fair that I have violated Burt’s privacy in describing our journey. I have shared his delusions with you; I have lamented his decline; I have exposed his hallucinations; I have described his terrors and his joys. It should be enough that his Lewy Body Dementia diminishes him.Continue reading “In the public eye”
News? Not much
My love thinks he met yet one more new wife. Today, this gave him qualms. Briefly. Can I have more than one wife at a time? I said you’re the exception to the rule. It’s ok for you. He is very happy with this one. She’s mostly nice to him; an exception to that wasContinue reading “News? Not much”
The things we still share
Much is lost as LBD progresses. That doesn’t mean we’ve lost everything to this disease. We still exchange affection in words and deeds. We kiss. We hold hands. We express how very very much we love each other. Often. He still says thank you when he wants to show appreciation. More importantly, Burt still knowsContinue reading “The things we still share”
this is our life 