The last several days hav3 been challenging, so today I’ll go out to the woods, be in the peacefulness of nature and just breathe. This last while I’ve been struggling more than ever, but I know a lot of others with dementia are struggling as well, I wonder how much the changing of the seasons comes into play, the change in barometric pressure, it effects my brain 🧠, My vision has been effected, my balance and coordination, and the brain fog, but, my face is also partly numb so perhaps another small stroke or TIA, that was just enough to set everything off. I do know that I don’t regain ground like I once did, it’s getting more difficult and takes longer. I think about how drastic the changes have been since last winter and through the spring when I was sick for so long. It’s that slow death that they refer to when talking about dementia, sometimes, I want to fight it with all I have, other times, I just want it to hurry up and be over. If it’s hard for others to watch the changes, can you imagine feeling it and knowing it within yourself and not being able to do anything to control it? We always hear how hard it is for the person on the outside to watch it, we seldom talk about what it’s like to be cognitively well enough to know and understand the changes, to be aware of the changes, and be powerless over it.
we can and most of us do everything we can to help ourselves stave or quiet this beast but ultimately we are not in control. It’s sobering. Perhaps, also seeing all the horrendous state of care homes, to the thought of robots taking care of people has also been a lot, along with trying to get our voices heard, and wondering if we ever will. It’s all been a lot then add in the normal life stuff because yes people with dementia still have that as well, it’s a time to acknowledge all these things, to settle into the new normal.
This has then been admitting I need help in certain areas, none of us like to admit that we are no longer capable of much of what we once were but if we do this can alleviate stressing my brain trying to do what is no longer manageable.
So amidst all there is always that silver lining, and for me that came yesterday, Yes the silver linings, I talk about them often, look for them always, am grateful beyond words for them. So my silver lining came in the form of a lovely friend who graciously volunteered herself to come and help me with all my organizational pieces, so that I could keep my brain pier to focus on the things that are good for me, like my advocacy work, like working with DAI, like working with research groups.
It’s almost impossible to be able to express the gratitude for this gift, a gift of oneself, a gift of time, and talent, so a heartfelt Thank you to Val Trevis, I have been so blessed to have you come into my life.
it makes it easier to maneuver through all the changes when you know you’ve got angels close by helping ensure you can keep living and getting the most out of life.
So this morning, after another friend showed up two days ago to ask if he could take me to the woods so I could explore ( another gift), exactly when I needed it ( unbeknownst to him), I am being guided and watched over. So I am not going into the woods not sad or depressed, just struggling with a lot of brain pain which is different than a headache, vision is bad as well but I am going feeling blessed and grateful that despite things declining I am truly blessed, grateful.
Chrissy's Journey 