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| Easier days in early 2014 |
I’ve been
involved with interior design and art for years, either creating something for Joe
and myself or helping others enrich their own surroundings, so it’s no surprise
to me that tastes change and something that was “hot” yesterday can be
completely passé tomorrow. I often
advise people to avoid what I call “Pop Culture Design”. It might have paid off for the likes of Andy
Warhol but a lot of other folks got stuck with avocado green shag carpet, or
lava lamps, or a black lacquer bedroom set that looked so nice in the showroom.
(I’m sure I’ve just dated myself.)
In the
fifty’s a slick salesperson sold my mother a low-slung black and pink
sofa. Yes, black and pink. Of course within a year it was completely outdated
and she spent the next ten years covering it up when people came to visit.
Somewhere in
LA or New York there’s a team of style-makers conspiring to create the latest
trends and figuring out how to make what people purchased in 2016 seem completely
out of style.
Okay, so
what does all this have to do with Alzheimer’s?
Well, I’ve
been thinking about what’s happening across our country right now. I understand the wave of senior citizens (Baby
Boomer’s) or the so called Silver Tsunami that is upon us. I see the work being done through various
Alzheimer’s groups and organizations. I
understand the push to educate and bring Alzheimer’s into the public
consciousness. All of this momentum, if
sustained, will change people’s view of the disease and make funding the cure a
reality. There will be no need to cover
up Alzheimer’s or hide it in the darkness. We’ll be able to face it head on, which I
believe is the only way to fight it.
But, and
this is a “Big But” (watch your spelling Jane), it must not be a short term
trend. It cannot be the passion for a season.
The culture we live in rarely attaches to anything for the long
haul.
The “Al” I
know is relentless and counting on our collective short-term attention span. He knows he doesn’t stand a chance with
people who are fighters, willing to continue the battle even when they’re tired
or disappointed or when some other flag is waved in front of them pleading for
their attention.
The month of
June was designated “Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month”, and this year
many famous people and celebrities joined the campaign to End Alzheimer’s. But every month needs to be Alzheimer’s Awareness
Month because for the families living with “Al”, every day is Alzheimer’s Day, filled with mounting challenges.
So go out
and buy that shiny new grey car (the “it” color this year). But if you know someone struggling with
Alzheimer’s, and I’ll bet you do, stay with us for the long haul. We’ll wave a
purple flag together. Let’s make purple
the “it” color this year and every year until we’ve conquered Alzheimer’s.
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Here on the
home front, we recently made a change in Joe’s medications, hoping to lessen
side effects from one of the only two widely prescribed Alzheimer’s drugs. I was concerned about the change, not knowing
what the impact might be, but the side-effects Joe was experiencing were severe
enough to warrant it.
You probably
know what’s coming…Stopping the medication did get rid of the side-effects, but
it may also have taken Joe off the “bunny slope” and put him on the “black
diamond” run heading down the hill at an increasing speed.
The problem
is, we can’t know for sure if the descent would have happened with or without
the change in medication. Maybe the
stress of the move and having to adapt to a new environment precipitated the
change. Maybe the periods of lucid days
sandwiched between days of confusion were about to end anyway. Either way, we are where we are (Joe and Al
and Jane), looking back up the hill to where we used to be.
Yesterday,
on the way home from a doctor’s appointment Joe began to tell me about his wife
Jane and something “Jane” had said that day.
So, I listened and I smiled. But
inside I struggled not to cry. It was a
surreal experience to be sitting in the car with Joe and have him talk about me
as if he was talking to someone else.
We’re still
settling into our new environment and trying to empty the remaining boxes but this
week we took time out to buy a new chair for Joe. It’s by far the ugliest piece of furniture
we’ve ever owned. In the past, I would have
referred to it only as the “R” word (a recliner). It’s too big, doesn’t match anything in the
room and will blow the heck out of my design scheme. But, it’s just what Joe needs right now and
he’ll love it, especially in the middle of a restless night when he’s searching
for that comfortable place to be.
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| Joe modeled for this one. He's the waiter in the background. |
