Something to Think About

This could be you or your family. I'm hoping to help others avoid what we just went through.

Being part of this community feels like winning the friendship lottery every single day. Honestly, it's wonderful to connect with all of you. We're at that stage in life, aren't we? When we & our parents are turning the pages into new chapters, some more difficult to read than others. And since we're all on this journey, I want to share a chapter from my own book, a chapter I've been reading over & over for the past few years. My hope is that sharing my story might help someone else avoid the heartache my family has endured.

Flash back to 2019. My mom began to struggle with her memory & cognitive skills. It was like someone took an eraser to parts of her vibrant mind. We've seen this story before; my grandmother faced a similar struggle with dementia.Countless doctor visits, CAT scans, MRIs, you name it—doctors gave my mom the harrowing diagnosis: some form of dementia. It was like a punch to the gut, shaking the core of our family.

During this time, my life had its own subplot—I was getting married. I was planning the happiest day of my life while grappling with the saddest reality: My mom couldn't attend our wedding. Geography & fear separated us (she's in Idaho; I'm in Florida). Plus, COVID-19 was its own villain, & her cognitive difficulties made travel impossible. So began my trek down the path many call "The Long Goodbye.

"Fast forward to now, three years into this painful narrative. My mom's in her early 70s, wrestling with severe rheumatoid arthritis & other health conditions. Medication bottles clutter her countertop. And I've been preparing myself for the day when she might not recognize me. The impending loss is a constant, gnawing ache, a slow emotional grind that's been part of my day-to-day.

If you've been down this road, my heart's with you. If you're starting this journey, you're not alone.

But last night, the plot took an unexpected twist. Mom called: "Guess what? I don't have dementia! It was a medication messing with my brain." My tears were instant, born from pure, unfathomable joy. We were granted a second chance to rewrite our story. But then came anger—blistering, intense anger. After all that worry, all those medical bills, all that anguish, no one thought to check her medication as the culprit?

Please, if you or someone you love is facing a similar struggle, scrutinize the medications. Do it before you're knee-deep in despair. As for me? I'm exploring legal avenues. This feels like malpractice, like gross negligence. It's as if they were using my mom as a cash cow without really trying to find the source of her symptoms. Simple tests could have steered us in a completely different direction.

Yes, I'm overwhelmingly grateful for this sudden turn in our family story, but I'm also incensed. Juggling joy & anger is a complex emotional act, but I'd take this rollercoaster over the one I've been riding any day!