My heartfelt apologies to all of our new members who have joined since December 2013. I usually welcome each one individually to my website, but a serious family illness which took me out of town, issues with my husband in the nursing home, and my own stress/depression interfered with my website time. I want you all to know that I have been following your posts, and am so glad you have found us. Although your spouses are all in different stages, the support and information you find here will be valuable to you at any and all stages of this dreadful disease.
I started this website in 2007 because I couldn't find anyone who would talk about how I felt - I thought I was the only one feeling the way I did about what Alzheimer's Disease was doing to my marriage. I needed a place that dealt with my unique issues as a spouse of an Alzheimer patient. This site is now a place of comfort for spouses/partners who are trying to cope with the Alzheimer's/dementia of their husband/wife/partner. The issues we face in dealing with a spouse/partner with this disease are so different from the issues faced by children and grandchildren caregivers. We discuss all of those issues here - loss of intimacy; social contact; conversation; anger; resentment; stress; and pain of living with the stranger that Alzheimer's Disease has put in place of our beloved spouse/partner.
The message boards are only part of this website. Please be sure to log onto the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and read all of the resources on the left side. I recommend starting with "Newly Diagnosed/New Member" and "Understanding the Dementia Experience".
Do not miss the "previous blog" section. It is there you will find a huge array of topics with which you can relate. There is a "search" feature on the home page that allows you to look up different topics that may have been explored in a previous blog. Log onto the home page daily for new blogs; news updates; important information.
Thank you for the warm welcome, Joan. I hope that your problems are resolving themselves, at least a bit. I wish you the best. You’ve done a wonderful service in starting this website and sharing not only your pain, but the lessons you have learned along the way, which helps all of us, and gathered like-minded people dealing with this disease who are always there to support and help. So, this website has been a Godsend for me.
I’ve followed your story - so difficult to try to deal with Sid’s AD and all that entails, keep the homefront running smoothly, and still deal with your own pain. Tough stuff.
My husband is in respite while waiting for a bed in one of our chosen LTC homes. It’s not easy, and we are all in such different spaces … I’ve really listened and learned from advice given. But, for the time being, I will continue to spend a lot of time with him; he cries when he sees me, with “I was scared you weren’t coming”, to sadness etc. when I leave, but it is slowly getting a little better. With time, my feeling is that he will feel safer. I hope he will be placed within the next month or so, and then I can slowly step back and breathe easier. He’s always been there for me, and I think I owe him this right now. Compared with a lot of others on this website, I feel that, while we are still dealing with this disease, we are blessed. Thank you, and thanks to all who have given advice and support.