SO VERY PROUD
YET
SO VERY TIRED
The man with dementia loves his wife dearly, he is so very proud of her “I want to be with my wife!! Where is she?? he insists, many times over
The carer at the day centre puts her hand on his and says she’s just popped out and will be back soon.
Here she is! Says the man, rushing to her side as she walks in “where have you been? He bellows.
His wife looks exhausted as she walks in, holds him by the hand and says “Just been out, I’m here now dear. The two-hour respite has gone in the blink of an eye, the memories of having a coffee and just doing nothing quickly fading.
They walk out, the man no more than 6 inches from her side, talking excitedly but not really making any sense. How I long for a good conversation with him she thinks, how I wish it was like it used to be!
He steps into the road without a care; a car misses him by inches!! His wife tugs at his hand to pull him back, but he is SO PROUD and shouts “I am not a child!! I don’t need to be helped across the road; totally oblivious to the danger he has just put himself in.
Once home, the husband is that proud of his wife he feels the need to follow her every time she gets up from the chair, goes to the bathroom or the kitchen.
His wife locks herself in the bathroom sometimes and weeps, he knocks on the bathroom door and asks “Are you OK? She answers YES and weeps some more
Night falls and he doesn’t recognise her anymore, he asks WHO ARE YOU? Where is my wife?? The wife he is so very proud of, the wife who has looked after him for years and years.
She stands in front of him, yet he doesn’t see her as his wife as he is looking for a much younger person when they first met. She looks at his demanding eyes, the very same ones that used to look on her lovely and tenderly, she has no answer, she has answered all these questions before but to no avail.
Blessed sleep comes eventually but not for long as he is up, shouting, fighting, banging on doors.
She has long since stopped worrying about what the neighbours think and for the eighth time, that night guides him back to bed.
The dawn arrives, she wakes first, and knowing today will be probably the same as yesterday, and the day before and the MONTHS before that.
Again she weeps, but silently, not wanting to wake him, he looks so very peaceful asleep, she still loves him deeply.
He wakes, he shouts WHERE ARE YOU?
And so it begins again
He is SO VERY PROUD
She is SO VERY TIRED
Norrms Mc Namara
Diagnosed with dementia ten years ago
Please share
xxx
YET
SO VERY TIRED
The man with dementia loves his wife dearly, he is so very proud of her “I want to be with my wife!! Where is she?? he insists, many times over
The carer at the day centre puts her hand on his and says she’s just popped out and will be back soon.
Here she is! Says the man, rushing to her side as she walks in “where have you been? He bellows.
His wife looks exhausted as she walks in, holds him by the hand and says “Just been out, I’m here now dear. The two-hour respite has gone in the blink of an eye, the memories of having a coffee and just doing nothing quickly fading.
They walk out, the man no more than 6 inches from her side, talking excitedly but not really making any sense. How I long for a good conversation with him she thinks, how I wish it was like it used to be!
He steps into the road without a care; a car misses him by inches!! His wife tugs at his hand to pull him back, but he is SO PROUD and shouts “I am not a child!! I don’t need to be helped across the road; totally oblivious to the danger he has just put himself in.
Once home, the husband is that proud of his wife he feels the need to follow her every time she gets up from the chair, goes to the bathroom or the kitchen.
His wife locks herself in the bathroom sometimes and weeps, he knocks on the bathroom door and asks “Are you OK? She answers YES and weeps some more
Night falls and he doesn’t recognise her anymore, he asks WHO ARE YOU? Where is my wife?? The wife he is so very proud of, the wife who has looked after him for years and years.
She stands in front of him, yet he doesn’t see her as his wife as he is looking for a much younger person when they first met. She looks at his demanding eyes, the very same ones that used to look on her lovely and tenderly, she has no answer, she has answered all these questions before but to no avail.
Blessed sleep comes eventually but not for long as he is up, shouting, fighting, banging on doors.
She has long since stopped worrying about what the neighbours think and for the eighth time, that night guides him back to bed.
The dawn arrives, she wakes first, and knowing today will be probably the same as yesterday, and the day before and the MONTHS before that.
Again she weeps, but silently, not wanting to wake him, he looks so very peaceful asleep, she still loves him deeply.
He wakes, he shouts WHERE ARE YOU?
And so it begins again
He is SO VERY PROUD
She is SO VERY TIRED
Norrms Mc Namara
Diagnosed with dementia ten years ago
Please share
xxx
