Other tourists did turn to look at her and even had amusing smiles on them and when the waiter brought the coffee, she spilled it etc.
Sue hi,
Really dreadful - can understand a bit how you feel but with the added racist 'smirks' it must have been horrid - although I was laughing about the supermarket incident in truth I did not know how to handle it... Check out girls couldn't give a monkeys but the other 'shoppers' ...
One of he really difficult things about AD is that it does not 'show'. In fact frequently (but not always) a new acquaintance will think there is nothing wrong - With the other major illnesses there is a sign - no hair for Cancer - shakes for Parkinson's types - wheel chairs or crutches for others. For AD there is the 'soft shoe slow shuffle' and the slightly dead 'hung over' features but you have to know it to know it.
I made the decision a long time ago (3 years feels quite long but its hardly past the start mark of course) that I would just tell everybody up front as soon as they made contact. People can then either accept it all or walk... Quite a lot can accept it for occasional visits... I also post the AD TP link on my emails and all the Internet forums I visit... I just think the illness needs talking about - recognising for what it is. I also don't think it should be dressed up as something 'acceptable' - its not. But it is also what it is so the world better get used to it - cos it ain't going away and it could be you next...
Michael