The dragon being me, because I was born in the year of the dragon, and it was chinese new year yesterday, so the title is here. I will use this to record my lifes events. My memory is like a sieve, so this may serve to be useful later on. So here I am, 35 years old, in a happy defacto relationship with two daughters aged 3 and 5.
This blog is primary for my own benefit, not necessarily of any interest to anyone else. I want to use it to track the progress of my life, but also the life of my mum who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimers at 57 years old. She is also looking at possibly getting a Parkinsons diagnosis on top of it, which is pretty hard to cop for her I'd imagine. In the last few years her life has become a living hell as far as I can see. Her and Dad have worked hard all their lives to get to a position of financial comfort. They don't have any debt, own their house, own their cars, have a caravan and everything they needed to retire and enjoy life finally.
And then the bombshell. What started with anxiety / panic attacks and depression, lead to an Alzheimers diagnosis. Then deterioration of her back and the beginning of tremors may continue on to a Parkinsons diagnosis. As it is at the moment, her doctor doesn't even want to go near Parkinsons, she's still trying to accurately track her progress with the Alzheimers medications. So this year could be another big year.
Dad, well as a control freak from way back, is obviously struggling with how he's coping. He's just taking more control of her, and trying to control things that are well beyond his control, as will become increasingly obvious as the months and years pass. It will be interesting to say the least to see how he deals with the progression of mums demise. And interesting to say the least to watch how mum digresses, to see her true colours come out after years of repression.
I see people, and how they deal with terrible illnesses, and mum, so far has not proven to be a fighter. She seems to have given up on all hope that she will be able to make any of her own decisions for her life and death. Mum is a nurse, who has worked in aged care and dealt with dementia through her work as well as her own father living through it. She is a big believer of euthenasia and taking control of her life while she can still make these decisions. While Dad seems to have a pathological fear of death and won't even enter into those kinds of conversations. So with him as her next of kin, I'm doubtful that her wishes to die a peaceful and timely death will ever eventuate.
Sad but true.
I know that's a pretty full on first post. But that's where it's at!
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