AT THIS TIME OF YEAR
As Christmas approaches i would ask you all to remember this years Christmas message from the Purple Angel dementia awareness campaign
" PLEASE REMEMBER THOSE WHO CAN`T"
Living with this disease all year is, to say the least, an uphill struggle. But at this time of year especially, because for people like me,who have dementia, things go though your head that dont the rest of the year. I will sit and think.................
Q - Was it like this last year? the year before ? the year before that ? What was the tree like this year? is it better than last year or worse? Am i getting worse ? Until eventually the question i try not to ask my self that often, enters my mind, which is
" Will i see another Christmas ???"
As you probably know, younger people with early onset, once in decline, do decline very quickly, i myself have a very close relative who is only 60 and went downhill in a matter of months due to this awful disease. I am not complaining, far from it!! i have had probably the most eventful seven years since my diagnosis than i have ever had in my life !! , and i have met some wonderful people. When i was first diagnosed (As some of you remember as we have been friends before my diagnosis ) i lost an incredible 70% of my friends, both long term, short term and e mail friends, they all dropped away as if i had the Plague, in fact i wrote a poem about it called " I Haven't Got The Plague " (bottom of this post)
But the great thing is we have seen so much change in the last seven years, and as hard as it gets sometimes, thinking about how much things have improved, with memory cafes, drop in centres, dementia advisors dementia communities and the likes, really lifts my spirits, and should yours, as any change for the better is better than none.
So as you family arrive on Christmas day or over the holiday period, please spare a thought for us that cant remember what last year was like, or even why all these people are in the house ?? Here at the Purple Angel, as you know we live by two words, Inclusion and Engagement, and if you include and engage those with dementia in every festivity, every party game and every event you have, the smiles on their faces should tell all. As an idea, we all love our favorite films and TV programmes at Christmas, so as a present, why not make a home video of times past, places past and faces from the past, and have an afternoon of reminiscence in your , or their, very own home!! Spend an hour going through old photos with them, You could call this DADS/MUMS/ Granddads Hour etc! If not, why not record a black and white film that they will enjoy, and get the kids and family to sit around and watch it with them, not much to ask, a couple of hours ?? . I must admit the WIZARD of OZ that starts off in black and white and then goers to colour is also a huge hit with the kids as well!!
Always remembering, when they sit there, with that far away look in their eyes, they might just be worrying about the year to come, i know i do, so a quiet word, a touch of the hand, a look of comfort or a hug and a kiss could make all the difference. I hope this helps a little and helps you understand the world we live in at this time of year, very best wishes
Norrms and family xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc Norrms Mc Namara
Diagnosed with Dementia aged 50, just seven years ago
POEM I Haven't Got The Plague
As I walked through town today, I saw a friendly face,
But as he walked towards me, he then walked past with pace,
I'm sure that he had seen me, and saw my friendly wave,
I've only got Dementia, and not Bubonic plague…
Why do people treat me so, why are they so cruel…
I'm just the same as them, not some bumbling fool,
Some are friends I have known, all my working life,
Who used to chat and laugh, to both me and my wife…
But now most of them act, as if I don't exist…
And all the good times that we had, are just a distant mist…
I still laugh and I still cry, and still know that they're there,
Even when they ignore me, without a fleeting care…
So to those friends I have lost, I say to one and all…
I hope the dementia demon, never comes to call
As Christmas approaches i would ask you all to remember this years Christmas message from the Purple Angel dementia awareness campaign
" PLEASE REMEMBER THOSE WHO CAN`T"
Living with this disease all year is, to say the least, an uphill struggle. But at this time of year especially, because for people like me,who have dementia, things go though your head that dont the rest of the year. I will sit and think.................
Q - Was it like this last year? the year before ? the year before that ? What was the tree like this year? is it better than last year or worse? Am i getting worse ? Until eventually the question i try not to ask my self that often, enters my mind, which is
" Will i see another Christmas ???"
As you probably know, younger people with early onset, once in decline, do decline very quickly, i myself have a very close relative who is only 60 and went downhill in a matter of months due to this awful disease. I am not complaining, far from it!! i have had probably the most eventful seven years since my diagnosis than i have ever had in my life !! , and i have met some wonderful people. When i was first diagnosed (As some of you remember as we have been friends before my diagnosis ) i lost an incredible 70% of my friends, both long term, short term and e mail friends, they all dropped away as if i had the Plague, in fact i wrote a poem about it called " I Haven't Got The Plague " (bottom of this post)
But the great thing is we have seen so much change in the last seven years, and as hard as it gets sometimes, thinking about how much things have improved, with memory cafes, drop in centres, dementia advisors dementia communities and the likes, really lifts my spirits, and should yours, as any change for the better is better than none.
So as you family arrive on Christmas day or over the holiday period, please spare a thought for us that cant remember what last year was like, or even why all these people are in the house ?? Here at the Purple Angel, as you know we live by two words, Inclusion and Engagement, and if you include and engage those with dementia in every festivity, every party game and every event you have, the smiles on their faces should tell all. As an idea, we all love our favorite films and TV programmes at Christmas, so as a present, why not make a home video of times past, places past and faces from the past, and have an afternoon of reminiscence in your , or their, very own home!! Spend an hour going through old photos with them, You could call this DADS/MUMS/ Granddads Hour etc! If not, why not record a black and white film that they will enjoy, and get the kids and family to sit around and watch it with them, not much to ask, a couple of hours ?? . I must admit the WIZARD of OZ that starts off in black and white and then goers to colour is also a huge hit with the kids as well!!
Always remembering, when they sit there, with that far away look in their eyes, they might just be worrying about the year to come, i know i do, so a quiet word, a touch of the hand, a look of comfort or a hug and a kiss could make all the difference. I hope this helps a little and helps you understand the world we live in at this time of year, very best wishes
Norrms and family xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc Norrms Mc Namara
Diagnosed with Dementia aged 50, just seven years ago
POEM I Haven't Got The Plague
As I walked through town today, I saw a friendly face,
But as he walked towards me, he then walked past with pace,
I'm sure that he had seen me, and saw my friendly wave,
I've only got Dementia, and not Bubonic plague…
Why do people treat me so, why are they so cruel…
I'm just the same as them, not some bumbling fool,
Some are friends I have known, all my working life,
Who used to chat and laugh, to both me and my wife…
But now most of them act, as if I don't exist…
And all the good times that we had, are just a distant mist…
I still laugh and I still cry, and still know that they're there,
Even when they ignore me, without a fleeting care…
So to those friends I have lost, I say to one and all…
I hope the dementia demon, never comes to call
