Sometimes I believe we retreat into the world of dementia and forget there is an entire other world out there. My nusing school class just had its 50th reunion. I couldn't go as others also could not. Today in the mail I received a bio of class members. I was shocked at the number who had died of causes other than dementia. Being born is a terminal condition.
bluedaze, the number affected by dementia will definitely go up the older the class gets. I get so wrapped up in my husband's world and his care requirements - I sometimes forget that there are a lot of other things that can go wrong with people. The fact that I am still working has helped a lot in keeping me grounded.
It is what we do with the life we're given that counts....none of us here have wasted it. We've lived and loved and cared for our families and traveled and made friends all over the world.
I don't check in very often anymore, but I still feel that y'all are still my family. It's been nearly nine months since Claude passed and I'm still working on getting my life back together. I thought I was doing okay but after I returned from my trip to Seattle in July, things haven't gone well. I'll make it ..... one day at a time!!!
That was a bit off topic but in reply to bluedaze's comment, Claude's death certificate showed caused of death as "alzheimer type dementia". We never got a definitive diagnosis (doctors couldn't agree) but I was leaning towards Lewy Body Dementia after my research. I would have pursued it further but didn't have a chance to. He also had congestive heart failure and his heart was getting weaker and weaker.
I sometimes wonder if his heart just gave out before the alzheimers got him. He was three weeks from being 87 years old. It really doesn't make any difference as he is now at peace and out of pain.