When Memory Lane Dead Ends

When Memory Lane Dead Ends

By Kayla Click

I’m not very good with a map and sometimes I will be on a road and it dead ends. I backtrack to the nearest road and try to continue on, but sometimes I run into another roadblock.

I think that’s the best way to describe my mom’s dementia. We always loved to sit around and talk about the past, especially my grandparents since I never knew them. She always said, “I look just like her mother,” who passed away three days after I was born. I love the stories and I cherish them to this day.

As my mom aged, the typical memory issues came along but memory lane was still a great adventure. When mom was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia none of us knew what to expect. Mom never lost her memory of us kids or her memory of the past, it was just that memory lane had come to an end. There were no new memories to share, just those of the past and some days, those were even gone. I struggled because I wanted to share my new memories with her yet they meant nothing, as her only memory was the memory du jour.

I have been down memory lane with my mom many times and we spent a lot of time in the little cul-de-sacs. Some days were wonderful and some were dark and scary. Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Lewy body are horrible diseases and they strip away dignity and so much more. I not only lost my mom but I lost her memories. Yes, I have memories of my own and, yes, I will continue to tell her stories, but there are no new stories to be told.

Every day we are blessed with memories and special moments. Somehow, we think that will never end but memory lane does have a dead-end and a lot of cul-de-sacs. You can write down everything, save pictures and make videos, but nothing takes the place of that trip down memory lane with the one you love.

Call us to join a support group and share your memory lane via 903-868-9315 or 940-665-9891.