My grandparents, Sylvia and Mitchell were both children of Jewish immigrants. They met on a blind date and my grandma told me he was the first man she ever let kiss her on the first date (she later told me when I was older that my grandpa was the first man who never got a slap from kissing her on the first date!). They married while my grandpa was on leave from WWII. Both lived happy lives, both helped raise me, and both were giving people. Both got Alzheimer's disease.
It was a hard adjustment for my family, we were lucky to have help, but finding a good match for an at home care taker was a challenge at times. Though my grandma outlived my grandpa, my grandpa's Alzheimer's progressed at a faster rate. He had only 2 or 3 words left in his vocabulary and would want to go back "home" (his childhood home). Despite this some things never changed. He still loved dancing and singing, but most of all he never forgot how much he loved my grandma, likewise she never forgot her love for him. They would always kiss each other in the cutest ways. I have heard stories of couples who forget each other, but my grandparents never did. I will always be grateful for it.
Some folks believe that when an individual gets Alzheimer's it means they are gone. I do not believe it. The love my grandparents had for each other and their family never died. I can still remember my grandma stroking my hair and asking me about my life when she was near her end. My family started volunteering and giving to an Alzheimer's charity, and we still do the walk. I can share my experience to help others. Alzheimer's may have pain, but the love is still forever.
Boston, MA
