"Dementia is easy to say and easy to write but not so easy to understand"
Lets have a smile.
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So much of everything one thinks about or talks about is rather serious and depressing it occurred to me that exchanging stories or jokes about either totally unrelated topics or the telling of funny stories to do with the illness might might lighten the atmosphere. A Gold Star for the one who makes us laugh the most!!!!
Dear Jill,
Just chanced on your excellent website having done a search on "Dementia carers". I felt sad that this section seemed so neglected and thought I'd add, (hopefully), a smile. My partner has had Vascular Dementia for just over 2 years now,and as all of us I'm sure are finding, life begins to be a collection of compromises that when all was 'well', you'd probably never considered. In my case it has been about going with the flow and not feeling the need to correct everything said or done by my partner. Feeling sorry for myself one evening recently, I mentioned to my partner that I'd appreciate a little help in the kitchen with the evening meal, as I have now almost exclusively taken control of said department.
On calling home the following evening to say that I was heading home, my partner told me proudly that he had prepared dinner for that evening, and had popped out locally and bought fresh cherries amongst other things. I was just so pleased and on returning home, relaxed into the evening having thanked my partner for his troubles. Dinner approached and I went into the kitchen with him to help lay out the trays and the eagerly anticipated meal. It was to be a cold salad dinner but imagine my surprise as I opened the fridge to find a bowl of brown sludge with pitted cherries sticking out of it. Having learnt to gently enquire, I was proudly told that dinner was to be pre-prepared chilli crab...and cherries on a bed of lettuce. I did smile to myself and considering that I'm a 'wheelie-bin' when it comes to food, went with the flow. Dear readers, I cannot tell you how wonderful crab and cherries are!! Move over Heston Blumenthal, you've met your match!! It was such a wonderful evening of new experiences and smiles from both of us, and I felt that yet again it was another life lesson in living with dementia.
Just chanced on your excellent website having done a search on "Dementia carers". I felt sad that this section seemed so neglected and thought I'd add, (hopefully), a smile. My partner has had Vascular Dementia for just over 2 years now,and as all of us I'm sure are finding, life begins to be a collection of compromises that when all was 'well', you'd probably never considered. In my case it has been about going with the flow and not feeling the need to correct everything said or done by my partner. Feeling sorry for myself one evening recently, I mentioned to my partner that I'd appreciate a little help in the kitchen with the evening meal, as I have now almost exclusively taken control of said department.
On calling home the following evening to say that I was heading home, my partner told me proudly that he had prepared dinner for that evening, and had popped out locally and bought fresh cherries amongst other things. I was just so pleased and on returning home, relaxed into the evening having thanked my partner for his troubles. Dinner approached and I went into the kitchen with him to help lay out the trays and the eagerly anticipated meal. It was to be a cold salad dinner but imagine my surprise as I opened the fridge to find a bowl of brown sludge with pitted cherries sticking out of it. Having learnt to gently enquire, I was proudly told that dinner was to be pre-prepared chilli crab...and cherries on a bed of lettuce. I did smile to myself and considering that I'm a 'wheelie-bin' when it comes to food, went with the flow. Dear readers, I cannot tell you how wonderful crab and cherries are!! Move over Heston Blumenthal, you've met your match!! It was such a wonderful evening of new experiences and smiles from both of us, and I felt that yet again it was another life lesson in living with dementia.
Brilliuant "G"; absolutely brilliant. At last; an email entry where someone can look at the seriousness of the situation in the face and still tell a story that can make we readers smile. Anyone else out there who can add something. I can recall one or two situations myself but it would be better coming from any of you.
Thankyou "G".
Jill
Thankyou "G".
Jill
