Well, I'll Be Dog Gone

CHAIRMAN OF THE BORED

Let me introduce you to Trinny, our 95 pound pit bull that we rescued back in March of 2015. As you can tell, she rules the roost and sits in "people" seats instead of her own bedding when she can.

People talk about how bad and dangerous this breed is. NOT. We have 2 chihuahua's also. Now those dogs are bad and dangerous. They don't call them "ankle biters" for no reason. Trinny would rather give you "kisses" and play than anything else, unless it is getting doggie treats and special leftovers (no pork, no chocolate). 

When we got Trinny they thought she was around 3 years old. So now she is somewhere around 7 years old. The life expectancy of a pit is 8-15 years. I'm hoping she makes it more to the 15 side than the 8. She is my baby and I really can't think about that day when she is no longer here.

Why are you talking about your dog on this blog? Well, it's because like Trinny my life expectancy could very well be getting shorter. The NPH (normal pressure hydrocephalus) is stable right now, but the memory impairment in testing has shown to be increasing in recent tests. I still do pretty good most days. Short term memory is up and down, though more down a lot of days. I can also tell that I'm starting to slow down a bit more than I used to. Trinny used to love to play and would do it for a long time span, but now 5 or 10 minutes she is worn out. I'm also not able to go as long as I used to. I believe part of it is because of the shunt surgery last month and my body is trying to recover and find a "new normal" if there ever was one in the first place. But also it is harder to do some things that I used to enjoy. I love puzzles, but now Sudoku puzzles are hard for me to finish whereas I used to could do the hard levels and not blink. My concentration level is almost non existent.

Like I said, I don't look forward to the day when Trinny is no longer with me. It will be a hard thing to adjust to. We are used to snuggling up together sometimes. I have let her in the bed with us and she'll lay her head on my arm and put her paw on me as though to say "I'm here daddy." Other times I have laid down in the floor and wrapped my arm around her and just laid there with her watching the TV.

And it is the same with my wife. One of our favorite things to do when we first lay down in the bed is to face each other and talk for a few minutes, steal a good night kiss, and sometimes "spoon" for a bit before we settle in to our side of the bed. When we're walking through the store you'll often times see us holding hands, even when walking in from the parking lot. We hold hands at the table when we say the blessing before each meal. We sit at church and I'll have my arm around her almost the entire time we're in the congregation.

Having memories of someone or something when they pass is one thing, but not being able to have that physical contact is another. That is why people can't just "move on" when a loved one or a pet dies. They long for that personal touch, whether giving or receiving.

Dementia unfortunately robs people of that pleasure long before the body is no longer present. The patient will sit motionless, not emitting any emotions and not presenting any gestures towards anyone. When it is a parent or grandparent, you want them to reach out and wrap their arms around you, hold your hand, and talk to you and let you know they care and it will be ok. But it won't be ok. Once they move to the more advanced stages this disease will SUCK! You will lose everything you have experienced and enjoyed about this person, yet they will still be sitting in front of you. Almost like having someone die, but they are always in the casket by your side with the lid open, instead of being buried after a proper time passes.

If you are dealing with someone that has dementia, remember, You are still You. Nothing has changed, nor should it change. You'll adapt to your surroundings, and you'll succeed at doing it. It is them that is changing, not by their choice, but from the disease. Do what you can to help them retain as much as they can for as long as they can. Enjoy each touch, each word and each gesture while you can. When they no longer can, use the memory while they are in front of you and "relive" it while they are by your side. It isn't easy. There is NOTHING easy about this disease. It has to be the absolute closest thing to Hell On Earth that you'll go through. But at least you're going through it with someone you love, and not by yourself. And when you feel like you can't do it anymore, make sure that your support system knows it and is ready to step in and take a load off. You have to plan now to be ready then.

One day Trinny and myself will be gone. Will we be missed? I certainly hope so. But I also want those around me to be able to say "Man we sure had some good times right up to the end."

And if somehow, some way, some day they figure out how to stop or cure this mess, that works even better!

Until then, Remember #HydroWarrior4Ever #AlzSux #EndAlz