As a little kid, my favorite memory of my dad is him chasing after me in the pool, saying he was Jaws Now he is being chased. He always will be my most favorite person in the world. Our rolls have reversed now and coming to terms with that was difficult. But no where as hard as watching him slip deeper into the unknown. Dad has a few Masters Degrees, he was this brilliant man who seemed to know so much about so many things. He knew that this Alzheimer's monster was chasing after him. Both his parents, his aunts, a sister....they had all already been caught. He read every article he could get his hands on, did all he could to prevent it from catching him. But when the monster wants you, he is going to get you. Dad was in deep denial for many years, he became angry, quiet and isolated. It took my mom becoming very sick and him having a fall while she was in the hospital, for him to get help. He has been in care since December 2012. My mom passed away in October 2013, he doesn't remember her anymore. Which is hard but easier then trying to explain to him why she wasn't there to see him anymore.
He is at the point now where sometimes he knows who I am and sometimes he doesn't. If I can get him to smile, it makes my day.. It happens less these days. I am an only child with no extended family near by, so I am it. Watching him slip away is heart breaking, remembering all the wonderful times I had with him extend all the way back to being a toddler. It has taken three different facilities to find him a place that truly loves him and takes wonderful care of him. He is slipping away more and more each day, but he is treated with dignity, patience and love. I know a day will come where he will be gone, but until then we are in this together. I love you dad.
Sunnyvale, CA