At 54 my husband was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s. As we sat in that doctors office, on our way to catch a flight to Disney World with our then 9 year old son, I semi-heard what the doctor said, but understood none of it. “You’ll never work again, and you should get your affairs in order”. That echoes in my head to this day, but at that time it engulfed every moment of the entire vacation. I remember almost nothing of it, certainly none of the fun I think we must’ve had, we tried to have. All a horrific blur…I could not begin to comprehend the levity of the doctors words and what the future would hold
Fast forward almost 7 years, as I sit alone on my small corner of the couch, replaying happier times in our lives. My husband is likely pacing the floors of the memory care facility that he has been residing in for one and a half years, oblivious to me or our sons nightly dose of sadness, heartache and loneliness.
I contemplate how I have made it this far, almost 7 years of this nightmare! Unexplainable things have happened, unimaginable struggles have come up that seemed impossible to overcome! Almost daily I visit him, as he “lives” very close by our house we bought 3 years ago. It takes every ounce of strength to walk through those doors. The smells, the sounds, the sights…and my sad, sick frail husband…oh how I miss him, the “old him”…
People ask me how I do it, how have I done it thus far?! I reply, “it’s love, it has to be. Love is my superpower”. This is our story.
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