Mws R Writings

Camille….by MwsR(Alzheimer’s)

I watched helplessly as a vibrant smart intelligent woman turned into a whole different person. This was over 20 years ago.
I had watched this lady my whole life read her Bible every day, do crossword puzzles ridiculously fast, and she had a great personality.
She cooked some of the best breakfast. I loved how she put saltines in her coffee and claimed it took the bitter taste away. She had blondish red hair with curls that she imposed every night from rolling her hair in those foam curlers. She was tall and slender. She wore glasses that she hung on her neck with a chain. She was a modest dresser and loved wearing her socks over her pants while working in the garden. She said that would keep bugs from going up to her pants. Haha.
Seemed like in a blink of an eye that all that changed. Her ALZHEIMERS was a fast progressive kind. I watched her go from praising God to cussing like a sailor. I watched her ability to read, cook, garden, and such like things diminish away.
She went from being independent to being dependent.
Her Bible laid now, next to a portable potty chair. Her crossword puzzle books would now be torn and thrown around the room from one of her latest fits.
She was no longer kind and acted like a child. Never satisfied and turning on those who loved her most.
I remember her this way…and many other ways too.
It got worse the longer she went through this.
I miss my Great Aunt CAMILLE. I cared for her when no one else could anymore. She impacted my life then more than I knew at the time. She kept ALZHEIMERS for many years until one day her soul was at peace. I believe God took her to be with him. I was pregnant with my first child when I said my last goodbyes to her.
Someone mentioned God takes a person when replaced by another soul. I am not sure of this but it reminded me of Aunt CAMILLE. My firstborn came into the world a month after CAMILLE died. So who knows ….