JOAN’S BLOG – MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2008 – TIME OUT FOR HUMOR – A TONGUE IN CHEEK LOOK AT AN ALZHEIMER’S “CURE”.

Here at TheAlzheimerSpouse, we talk honestly about our tears, fears, and emotions related to our spouses’ Alzheimer’s Disease. Once in awhile, and probably not often enough, we inject a little humor into it, because, as we all know, without humor, we would be crying all of the time.

We had an experience this weekend that not only was humorous, but had “Blog” written all over it. Those of you who have come to know my writings, know that I try to treat every subject with dignity, and I try not to offend anyone. I hope you will take this little story for its humor and nothing more.

Sid and I think we found something of a “cure” for his memory loss. She is tall, blond, and well, unforgettable. It all started when we went to a friend’s house for dinner . One of the guests was a woman Sid and I dubbed “the cure”.

The door opened, and in walked a woman dressed in a skin tight dress, the top and bottom of which had not more than 20 inches separating the two. A plastic surgeon’s expensive handiwork flowed out of the top, and mile long dancer’s legs extended from the hem, which barely covered her bottom. Eye shadow and lipstick the color of the dress completed the ensemble. (No pictures here – too provocative -you’re going to have to use your imagination) My husband, who usually tries to make normal conversation when out with company, was dumbstruck. He barely uttered an entire paragraph all night, and I thought it would take surgery to put his eyes back into his head.

Usually, when we leave a social event, Sid cannot remember what was said, or who was who. He always asks me, “Who was the guy sitting on the left side of the couch? Who was the woman with him?”, and various other questions about the guests. By the next morning, he cannot remember much about anyone.

Not this time. All the way home, he remembered every detail of this particular woman. Everything. Sunday morning, not one single feature of Saturday night’s “visual” was forgotten.  We laughed, and agreed – “Guess she should market herself as a cure for memory loss!”

It felt good for Sid and I to enjoy a little laughter together. I hope you also get a bit of a chuckle out of this story.

Feedback to joan@thealzheimerspouse.com