Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Recently, my mother-in-law has been getting weaker and a hospital bed has been moved into her room to make it easier for her to get in/out of bed (as well as safety reasons.) It's incredible that just around two and a half years ago, she was diagnosed with having Alzheimers.

This is a pic of her and her husband around WWII.
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And this is her now...sleeping hard at 4pm while my kids played (happily and not quietly) for 45 minutes as she slept.
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As much as I love this place that cares for her, she'll be there for 4 more months and then we'll move her to a nursing home, thereby applying for assistance (and can then quit paying so much out of pocket.) She's incontinent and unable to walk so she spends most of her time in her wheelchair or in her bed, sleeping. It's amazing that it costs appr. $140. a day to care for her...so almost half of that cost comes from us children as her savings was used up last year. I miss her words, her thoughts, her expressions and her personality. While I can catch a glimpse here and there of her happiness or anger, she's like an empty void of a person. I really miss who she was. As she slowly moves on....I look to my own kids (big and old) to see the future.

While we were sitting there playing at her place, I took this pic of my first grader and myself. It's a raw pic (no make-up, barely brushed my hair, lol!) but it's real. (I keep trying to reduce the size of the picture but it wasn't working...sorry.)
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3 comments:

Floortime Lite Mama said...

I am sending you so many hugs ... This must be such a difficult time
Tons of positive thoughts
U look beautiful

Rachel said...

*sigh*

I am so sorry.

It is heartbreaking to watch someone seem to be stripped of their abilities and the parts of their personality that makes them THEM.

We are going through the same thing with my beloved MIL, and I would rather she be bedridden and clear-minded so that I can just soak HER in. I am so very sorry... many hugs.

And K is right - you look beautiful with your son.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry. :( We went through that with my grandma just a couple of years ago. It's a hard and painful thing. ((HUGS))

i loved your picture. :) i know what you mean about trying to reduce the size! I've had some of those, but those real moments are special. :) no one is as critical as we are to ourselves! <3