Here at Stumped Town Dementia we find ourselves unlikely researchers as we inadvertently gather anecdotal data on which disease is more destructive:
COVID-19 vs. Dementia
As of right now? Dementia is winning.
Mom is proving that she is a hard woman to kill. I guess I already knew that.
The Other Girl and I have spent the majority of our lives trying to give her a heart attack with our bad boyfriends, bad decisions, bad attitudes. And as she out maneuvered us with each catastrophe we cast at her feet, she is seemingly out maneuvering COVID-19 too.
Her cough has almost completely subsided. Her runny nose has gone dry. She has been up since 10 am today, wandering around, stopping to doze a bit in her chair, then resume wandering. Her eyes are bright. She is steadier on her feet. Her rage while receiving assistance at toileting has made a spectacular comeback. (Never thought that would be a cause for celebration, but it is!) And she's eating, not voraciously, but she has an appetite.
So, while I'm not ready to say we are completely out of the woods yet, the data is currently supporting our thesis that Mom is one tough old broad.
Maybe Dementia has given COVID-19 a fearsome shake of its staff while howling, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS! This one is mine!"
Lucky us?
I'm conflicted. A sudden virus that knocks Mom off the planet within days seems like a preferred demise over the slow, painful, snuffing out dementia's got planned for her.
But she's clearly not ready to move on. And having gone through these past few days so afraid for her, I realize I'm not ready to let her go either. (I guarantee you if/when she gets back to her old self and has resumed her normal schedule of full-scale caregiver torment, I will repent of the sentiment.)
So, we've managed some stayin' alive for one more day in our dementia household.
Heartfelt wishes from all of us at Stumped Town Dementia that you are managing some stayin' alive too.
Danila, the one truth I've found in dementia is "Don't sweat whatever's happening now, 'cause there's way worse coming!" ;)
It's tough on your mom and all who love her, but I hope you can also access the love and laughter that will also be a part of the journey. Not the biggest part unfortunately, but there for you when at some of the worst moments. I'm glad you're here with us and I hope our experience is helpful to you all.
I'll take that love and strength you're sending, thank you very much, and toss 'ya back patience and health!
Hoh-boy, Chris, it's a tough road to travel but it's not without it's perks. Like, have you started borrowing money from her yet? Trust me, you'll never have to pay it back, JOKING! (Sort of...)
I am glad you're here and a part of this, although I wish you and your family didn't have to be. But it does make me happy to know you are reading about our journey! And I hope you remember that those gut-busting laughs have been traded back and forth between us our whole lives! I'm not the only one who's humor is a little off the wall.
I'm so grateful to have found you. 1 year into mum's diagnosis, here in England, and we're not as far along as you. I think we're sort of in the worst stage (hahaha, we'll see!) where mum realises she's forgetting and fading, and gets hugely distressed. Fuck this disease! Looks like your dear mom is quite young, mine will be 90 in July.... in isolation because of dementia and now the plague, in south London, England. Sending you much love and strength xxx
You’ve made me laugh since Mr Harper’s health class in middle school...and you still do! And now you are giving me a way to keep humor in my life as we start our path with Eric’s mom. I think of you more often than you could know, and I am sending you back all the happiness from one of the gut busting laughs you caused me to have at the most inappropriate times way back then! We need you :-)