Well, it is official now....

[Mskanga]

My mom has alzheimers. The stage she's in is very significant , they have waited way too long to have it checked and she's at a point now where she's getting agressive , I can only hope that when they put her on a treatment in the next few days , it can help her, my mother has always been very independent and determined, unfortunately she had to play mom and dad when I was younger because my dad died 24 years ago, she basically supported the family through my dad's illness and raised my sister and I after his death. She re-married after that , so she's not alone but there have been a lot of issues with my stepbrother and stepsister , and those seem to be coming out to the light now.
I have seen my grandmother ( her mom ) die of dementia , I know how sad it was to see her just become someone she was not, my mom is going down the same road. She's not the same strong determined woman I once knew....and it's only going to get worse.
I feel awful because she's in Spain and I can't be there to help out , my dad ( that's how I call my stepdad ) and my sister ( my biological sister ) are taking the brunt of it.
I don't want to see this again, I know how painful it was to see my grandma go through that ( I was very close to her ) and my mom is going to be worse.
Sorry, I can't keep writing, I can barely see through tears.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Olga,

I am so sorry for you and your family. Please know that you will all be in my prayers. I will pray for strength for you and you and your family, for a remission for your mother and I will pray for the Drs.

Please keep us up to date.

 

[KathyTX]

Olga,

I'm so sorry!!! I know how hard it can be to gradually lose the person you knew and loved...

And I know how much harder it must be for you to be so far away.

Lots of {{{HUGS}}}, sweetie.

 

[mowsie dreamer]

{{{{Olga}}}} I'm so sorry to hear this. My grandmother had Alzheimer's, too, so I know how tough it is to watch someone you love lose so much of themselves. I know being so far away makes it even tougher.

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Debbie]

Sweetie, I'm soooo sorry. I know that words can't help at a time like this, but maybe knowing so many others care and are hurting with you will. (((((HUGS))))) and prayers Olga. Take care!

 

[geetey]

{{{{{{Olga}}}}} I am so sorry you have to go through this. It is so hard to see our loved ones become someone we no longer know. Alzheimer's is so hard on everyone.
Sending prayers your way!

 

[Mskanga]

Thanks everyone for your support.
I just hate this because last year when I went on vacation to spain, she was talking to me and told me that she knew she would end up like grandma, she knows what is going on. It's just hard to see her slowly become someone who she is not, for her it will be pure agony , for us it will be pure heartache.
I have known all along that it was alzheimers , I had discussed it with my cousin who is a doctor and one of his colleagues , but nothing was official, for years she was treated for depression, now we know it wasn't, but I guess I still had hopes that it would be depression.
She's 66 years old, way too young for this, my grandma didn't start until she was in her mid 70's.
I can only hope for the shortest agony for her since there is no cure for this horrible disease.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I'm so sorry that your mom and the rest of your family have to face this.

 

[glo]

Oh Olga...I am so sorry. You and I have talked about this before. Mi abuela( the one that turned 100) has been in the nursing he for over 20 years now. She is a rare case as she is in very advanced stages of Alzhiemer. Like our mom this woman was someone to emulate. In Cuba she made anti Castro paraphanelia in her basement and gave it out to her customers in the beauty salon, She had Mass held in her basement...She raised me while my mom worked two jobs here in the US, while my DAD was still in Cuba...Now she does not remember any of us.

My consilation is she enjoys seeing my girls, they bring a huge smile to her face, and she believes she is in a castle where the nurses and people are her servants, after all the hard ship this woman has enored in life, I am so happy she has that.

I am so sorry to hear it is official....I still cry quite often about my grandma...you wll be too...It hurts so much to see this happen. Honey, I am here for you. Call me, pm me...whatever. You should not go through this alone...You have all of us here, and you now you have me....Sometimes a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen and care can make a world of difference...no one should go through anything alone.

Please take care, and I will permanatly add your mom to my prayers.

{{{HUGS}}}

 

[Mskanga]

Glo, I can only ask that IF my mom has to be placed in a nursing home, she will have a short agony.
My grandmother was in a nursing home towards the end, she was there for a year and a half , my aunt lived one block away from there and since she's a hairdresser, she used to go there quite often to fix the residents hair. But it wasn't a quality of life either. I'm worried also because my dad has to be trained to deal with it, and I know it will not be easy for him, he's in his 70's.
My mom worked all her life, raised me and my sister, took care of my father the 13 years he was sick , supported the family the best she could, she went through hell all her life , always doing for someone else, took care of both of her parents when they were sick, just in the last 6 years she started enjoying life, the kids all out of the house, healthy grandchildren , went on a couple of trips with my dad ( stepdad) , they were finally starting to live. Now there will be some big re-adjustments to do, hopefully she won't suffer as much as her mom did.
My consolation at this time is that she still remembers us, she loves my girls to death and I know they always bring a smile to her, so I make lots of video tapes and send them to her.
But there are a lot of things she does not remember, sinple things she used to do on a regular basis , she also forgot what my biological dad died of.
At times she cracks jokes and says something like....if I didn't forget something , it wouldn't be funny , you just have to laugh because she has a great sense of humor.

 

[Minniespal]

Olga -

Your mom and family are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[loisg1]

Olga,

I'm so sorry for all that you and your family are going through. Your mom sounds like such a sweetheart and that's what makes it hurt so bad.

Keeping you and your family in prayer,
Lois

 

[Luvinit]

Olga....I will keep your mom, your family, and You in my prayers!! Please know that this is going to be very hard at cetain points for you....I want YOU TO REMEMBER that we are all here for you! Please talk to us...when you feel like you have no where left to turn...okay??? You are not alone...we want to know how Olga is doing from time to time.

{{{{hugs}}}}} and PD *~*~*~*~

Tracy

 

[tiggerlover]

{{{{HUGS}}}} Olga. I have been thinking about you and your mom waiting for the diagnosis and I am so sorry your fears came true. My only hope is that you are able to go visit Spain before she gets too bad. You and your mom will continue to be in my prayers.

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Olga I'm so sorry to hear this news and {{{{hugs}}}} to you. I don't really know what to say except that I'm thinking of you lots, sweetie.

 

[KathyTX]

Originally posted by glo
she believes she is in a castle where the nurses and people are her servants...

Glo, this just makes me smile. Your abuela sounds like a remarkable lady. I'll bet she had some fascinating stories to tell.

Olga, will you be planning a trip home sometime soon? It sounds like your mom would love to see you while she's still strong and well. I know your kids would cherish some time with grandma. And I know it would mean *everything* to you.

 

[perfectmatch300]

Olga, I've been where you are now with my Dad. His Alzheimers seemed to come on out of nowhere. One day he was out on the golf course playing a round with his buddies, the very next day he was in a hospital not knowing where he was or what day it was or much of anything else for that matter. I thought he was on a WW II troop ship most of the time. I hung in there with he & my step-mom (who I didn't always see eye to eye with) till the end. It was really hard to do, but I always believed he knew I was there & that I was doing OK even when he was no longer able to communicate that to me through normal channels. I know it's hard for you to do that with your mom so far away, but if there's any way you can manage to get over there to see her it may be the hardest thing you ever have to do, but also one of the best things you'll ever do.
In the meantime I'm sending {{{{HUGS}}}}, prayers, and pixie~*~*~*~*~dust your way

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I am sooooo sorry to hear this. I just am not sure what to say. Sending you hugs and prayers.

 

[Kelsie]

(((Olga)))

You and your family will be in my prayers.

We are here for you when you need us.

 

[Mskanga]

Kathy, I would love to go next year to visit, for all we know my mom may stay like this for the next 5 years or longer, we don't know , but I have to prepare myself financially for an emergency before I go for just a visit. An emergency airline ticket can easily be $3,000 for one person alone , to Spain. That's no pocket change.
But there may be sales for next year to go through the summer for a bit more than $1000 for the three of us , just like this year, if that's the case I will take the trip with the girls.
Nancy, my grandmother had pictures of all her children and grandchildren in her room in the nursing home, as I said before her and I were very close and when someone would touch my picture she would yell at them , yes she was able to yell , I guess that's where the spanish hot temperament came into place.
I have to get used to the fact that we are on for one hell of a ride and this could go on for years to come.