For the past couple of days I have been spending time with my grandmother. She is 96 years old and is experiencing Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease is genetic in my maternal heredity. Most of my grandmother's sisters and brothers developed Alzheimer's disease during their senior years. Expect for one sister that experienced the disease early in life. Now when I visit my grandmother it is more of a reversal role. My grandmother was my real parent from the time I was 12 years old until I went off to college when I was 18 years old. She did all the things that grandmothers do like teach me how to make southern dishes from scratch, sew, garden and cut the grass. She also spoiled me very much. Hence my narcissistic personality.
Alzheimer's is a very treacherous disease it robs people of the memories they have created over a lifetime. It takes away your ability to recognize the most important people in your life. And it hurts all the family members who used to be called baby, sweetheart and dear. Those are the words that soothed you when you were feeling alone in the world, gave you comfort when you needed love that only a spouse or parent could give you. In turn you become the comforter and solace with the person suffering from Alzheimers.
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