To care for those who once cared for us us one if the highest honors. ~Tia Walker
Hello steemers! I'm back haha! Recently, I was very busy doing a lot of things and when its my turn to write on my blog in a few seconds I found myself lying already in my bed haha! that's how tiring my day for the past weeks. Well let me share you something that was very meaningful to me.
Have you tried being with elders who had Alzheimer's or dementia? Do you know what is Alzheimer's and dementia? Have you wonder what are the obstacles they've been through while they were feeding up with this kind of disease. This was the most progressive and scary disease among elders.
What is Alzheimer and dementia? According to the Alzheimer's Association in Michigan (https://m.alz.org/what-is-alzheimers.asp) they define Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problem with memory, thinking and behavior while Dementia is the term applied to a group of symptoms that negatively impact memory.
My grandmother was been diagnosed with Dementia three years ago, but we were shocked that during her 70 years of existence she was already developing this disease. There are symptoms that are detected by her Psychiatrist that was visible to her during her yearly 75.
Symptoms such as memory problem, changes of behavior and depression were certainly visible during her early 70's we've taught it was just normal for her age because she was becoming old and she was living alone at our old house in Taytay,Rizal. Still we value her health that's why we decided to consult a Psychiatrist as refered to by her IM (internal medicine doctor).
Some test and assessments were given to her and detected that she was suffering from Dementia. We were given some medicine to calm her down, because she has a tendency of hurting herself and waking up everyone in the house every evening and asking everyone to sleep every morning.
It was very hard for us to see her suffering from that disease. I had to leave my career just to take the place of her caregiver because none of them stayed so long. She wanted me beside her always. Sometimes she was mad at me. Sometimes she's scared but most of the time she was just sitting at the corner doing nothing.
It was three days before her birthday we found her lying on her bed with her mouth swelling and unconscious, we are shock it was only me and my brother who was in the medical field that are aware on what to do if that occur. I called for help right away and we rushed her to the hospital, when we arrived they were already waiting for her because my brother already texted his co-workers. She needed ventilator right away, because she couldn't breath alone, lucky are we I think so that my brother was working there as a medical technologist.
A few days after we asked to signed a waiver consulting us that whatever happened they will not going to resuscitate or no code will be given to her once something occurred my mother and her brothers decided to let "nanay" have her natural death it was very difficult and very torturing for us to see her everyday lying on the hospital bed with all the apparatus. I need to bw strong for my mother and for my younger brothers because they were all gathering strength for me. when the day comes that she already gave up I was terribly hurt and crying alone, but I had to stood up and settled everything needed to settled.
It was the most tragic part of my life so far, but as what they said life must go on. Why am I sharing this to you. I just wanted to tell everyone that you must take care of your grandparents if they are still alive. Show them respect and love in little ways you can even they are not returning it back to you. Because at the end of the day you are not here without them remember they are the mother and father of your parents.
I miss you "nanay" so much! Thank you for everything. I love you. Till we meet again. 馃槡
