By Virginia Amis
The phone rang. My husband sighed.
“Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
There were no doctors’ appointments, no pharmacy runs. Their community fed them and offered activities.
Alzheimer’s did not care.
“What? Your car fob battery died? Someone took it apart? Read me the number.”
He held the phone away from his ear. I heard “washing machine” and “clock alarms” before he signed off.
“He doesn’t understand. I have to…”
“Go,” I said. Then I asked him, “When are they going to take away his keys? How much longer must we endure these demands?”
“As long as he needs me,” my husband replied.
Excellent message about a difficult topic.
Nicely constructed Virginia! “Alzheimer’s did not care,” is a great line. And, “As long as he needs me,” got me. Nice piece!
91 a few days ago. Warmly appreciate this 101 words.
A touching testimonial about the devotion of a loving son and the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s. The last line fully expresses the sentiment. Beautifully written.
Volumes conveyed here, beautifully and magically succinct. This one hits under the skin!
Thank you all for your comments and for the caregivers who give so much. I am humbled by my husband’s devotion.
Vicious nasty bloody disease. So well portrayed
Between my wife and I, we had four parents who succumbed slowly to this disease or variants of it. Your story rings very true.
My parents passed away a few years ago at 95 and 97. Thankfully I didn’t have to deal with either of them having Alzheimer’s, but I was still there when they needed me. Thank you for your story.