16 Comments
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Lauca's avatar

Yes, we always think that our parents will be strong forever. It is hard to see their decline, no matter which form it takes. But neurodegenerative conditions hit particularly hard, in so many ways. Courage!

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment, Lauca!

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Negar Kamali's avatar

You're welcome, Tanya. I hope so, but in case it happens, if I HAVE TO figure it out, I know I WILL find a way to be "the adult in the room".

P. S.: Iranians have a personality trait, which i don't know how to translate it to English called "shekaste-nafsi", in which they give an unreal version of themselves for sympathy purposes. As much as i don't want to use it, i can't help myself. Sorry if i seem so.

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Electric Badger's avatar

I am sorry Tanya. The whole text got me. But especially the last sentence resonates with me.

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

Thank you 💜

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Negar Kamali's avatar

Oh, Tanya. I'm so sorry for your mom, it must be very difficult for you. If one day one of my loved ones gets Alzheimer's, i may or may not be able to "be the adult in the room" for them.

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

Thank you, Negar 💜 I hope you won't have to find out 🙏

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Symantha Sanda's avatar

My heart goes out to you!

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

💕 🙏

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Richard A Rhodes's avatar

My mother doesn't have Alzhiemer's but at 104 (approaching 105) she needs full time attention, because she's lost almost all short-term memory. It's been going on since she was 100. Watching it happen slowly is almost as bad. (Fifty years ago, she watched her step-father, who did have Alzheimer's, make a mess of her mother who just couldn't let him go when he needed to be put in a home.)

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

Wow, 105... I'm wishing you strength, Rich, and I'm wishing her comfort 🙏

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Daniel Sherman's avatar

Oh Tanya!

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Rona Maynard's avatar

Tanya, I'm from an Alzheimer's family and couldn't be more sorry. You've created a lovely, poignant echo here: the pencil in your ear that your mother calmly extracts, the pencil she now holds like a child as she draws.

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

Thank you, Rona, for reading and commenting 💜🙏

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Paula Derrow's avatar

I’m so sorry about all this. Beautifully written as always. On a slightly more humorous note, my husband managed to get a crayon stuck up his nose… Never to return. I think he was around seven.

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Tanya Mozias's avatar

Wow 😮 Did it really never return?? I mean, there must be a bigger reason god gave us ears and noses and crayons / pencil leads that fit perfectly into them, but I have no idea what it is!

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