Alzheimer's Reading Room
Miracle
What can I say? Thank goodness. Dotty? Amazing
Dotty continues to improve each day. Back from the depths of May 18.
I had never seen Dotty so sick, not in my entire life. She couldn't walk. She wouldn't eat. She could not feed herself. It was very difficult to get her in a wheelchair.
Now? She continues to improve each day. She can now walk as long as she is holding on to my hand or something. Not like a long distance, but good enough to make it from here to the car. She is eating and she is feeding herself. She even got herself up and made it to the bathroom.
When I took her to the doctor last week, she walked in to the office from the parking lot, and then walked to the examination room from the sitting room. No wheelchair, no walker.
The entire staff at the doctor's office: assistants, nurses, and the doctor were amazed. One by one they said, Dotty you are walking and gave her a big smile. Best of all they were all giving Dotty lots of encouragement. The staff was very enthusiastic. The other patients were a bit surprised. Everyone knows Dotty. She is a magnet.
Here is some very good news. Dotty did the crossword puzzle on Sunday. The easy crossword puzzle in the television section. The first time she touched the crossword in almost a month. How did she do? Not her best of the year, her second best of the year. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Is Dotty back to where she was on May 10? No. She is not reading the newspaper and reacting to the Front Page. I really miss that. I think many of you know what I mean. It was fun talking about current events with Dotty. Who knows? Maybe it will start again. I hope so.
Dotty just loves the HBO show Treme. For the first time in a month she started singing when it came on. Maybe she lived in New Orleans in a past life. It appears that she is actually watching the show. I asked her if she liked the music and she said, yes. She smiled. Dotty is not smiling as much as she did before she got sick. Will she? Only time will tell.
Dotty's voice is getting stronger. This is one of my measures of how she is doing at any given point in time. She is also giving me more crap. Funny how something that drove you crazy for the longest time, now makes you feel happy. Alzheimer's the constant twist and turn.
I want to thank each and every one of you that emails to find out how Dotty is doing. I want to thank each and everyone of you for your prayers and kind words.
During the period from May 18 to the end of May, I was as worried as I have ever been in my life. I really didn't think Dotty would come back like she has so far.
I don't know, it seems like a miracle to me. I guess we are lucky.
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Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room
