We went to a party on July 3, and met a really cute old couple who lived in the Assisted Living center where my mother resides. One of the reasons for the party was to celebrate the woman's birthday. I'll call her Mary. Her husband, whom I'll call Ed, has Alzheimer's Disease, and lives in another part of the building. They can't live together, and they went home early from the party because he "sunsets" and becomes very difficult in the evenings. But she quietly came back to the party, once he was settled in and under the supervision of the nursing staff.
Ed was a top executive at a huge corporation, and they met each other in a bereavement group after their respective spouses died. They've been married about 8 years, and traveled the world until he was diagnosed a couple of years ago. He handled millions of dollars in his business life, but now can't add single-digit numbers together.
A few days ago, Kim, who introduced us and hosted the party, told me that Mary called her, very upset. Ed hadn't slept in days, was accusing her of having an affair and yelling at her, and she was terrified to drive him to the doctor's office alone. Kim stepped in and drove, and I've instructed her to give my number to Mary, so she can call me if Kim isn't available.
I heard a news story today about a new Alzheimer's drug that looks promising. I don't suppose it will come out in time to help Ed or Betty.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment