A typical Friday night for us

Playing her Leap Frog memory or flash card games is such a great way for my Mom to use her brain but it's also a nice bonding moment for us.

Dancing Queen

My Mom enjoys dancing and even though she gets tired when there are people around she seems to dance a bit longer which is wonderful for her brain but also to sleep better at night.

When the lucid times come around...it hurts more

A few week back I was taking my Mom to a family get together and on our way to pick up another Aunt she turns to me and say "you are 25 right?" and I replied saying no I'm 36 (I round up) and she moved her face away from and I tried to look over to her side as we were driving and I see she is crying.  I asked what was wrong and she said "she couldn't believe that she can't remember 11 years of my life, she can't believe how her head is giving up on her."  I had to pull over and join her on the cry fest, I told her not to worry about it that this why I was here for, to help her remember.  Then I told her "oh no I forgot the pasta" she laughed and the moment where she was lucid and all there for a moment left us as fast as it came by.

It hurts me when she asks me things like how about how many Grandkids she has but it's the moments when Alz is gone and my Mom is completely lucid and she realizes that she has the disease and it is stealing her memories.  This is disease has no other word that "evil" because you know there is no cure for it and nobody wants to forget their loved ones and happy memories.  For that moment I was glad Alz came back so my Mom wouldn't hurt anymore.

Seeing the disease progress

The last month I've witness this horrible disease take my Mom's memories more and it feels like a knife gets wedged into my heart.

We had family visit from Spain, my Mom's eldest niece who she hasn't seen in about 50 years or so and that made my Mom very happy which I thank them for visiting with her the little time they had to spare. In one of our outings my Mom wasn't able to say how many Grandkids she had and this killed me. She was trying to tell her niece's daughter she had two then said no I think I have three or maybe it's two I think there's a boy and there's a girl her name is Alexys. My cousin's daughter helped my Mom said yes you have a grandson I turned around and said his name is Paul and turned back trying to hold my tears in.

I feel that she remembered my niece more because she's the only who wants to spend time with her Grandma and tries to be the best respite caregiver any Aunt can ask for her. She is patient with her Grandma and keeps her entertain by doing dance therapy and other activities but most of all she is her "Nina Bonita Su dulce princesa". Those are words my Mom always says to my niece.