Mom Didn't Laugh for Two Years and it was Killing Me

My mother, Dorothy, did not laugh for over two years. It was "killing" me....

By Bob DeMarco

Max wrote about the last great big laugh he heard from his Great Grams. It was obviously vivid in his mind. See The Plaid Pajamas and the Last Big Laugh.

This reminded me of one of the saddest periods in my life. My mother didn't laugh for over two years. She rarely smiled during this period. Severe heartache, it hurt.

I would look over and there would be mom. The glassy eyed look, the stare into what must be either confusion or "nowhere". The look of Alzheimer's and dementia.

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Alzheimer's Reading Room: Mom Didn't Laugh for Two Years and it was Killing Me

Inside Alzheimer's How to Hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Presidential Proclamation -- National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

The human cost of Alzheimer's disease is staggering
-- Barack Obama

Alzheimer's Reading Room

The human cost of Alzheimer's disease is staggering. We can -- and must -- come together to address this growing health challenge. Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease is a full-time, non-stop job, and this month, we also honor the compassionate caregivers and medical professionals who provide endless comfort and attention to those facing Alzheimer's disease. Until we find more effective treatments and a cure, we must continue to support both Alzheimer's disease research and the caregivers and victims of this devastating disease.

Read the entire proclamation at the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Working with Dotty to Turn No Into Yes (CinchCast)

By Bob DeMarco

Dotty is complaining to me that her knees are hurting. This happens every day. I don't remember her ever complaining about her knees back in the days when we were going to the gym.

25,000 Barrels of Oil Seen a New Way

clipped from dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com 25,000 Barrels of Oil Seen a New Way . Any frequent visitor here knows I’m interested in people who are experimenting with new ways to visualize phenomena — from the  flow of aviation knitting our planet to the  volume of our shared oceans and atmosphere. Here’s  a new entrant, using software tools from the gaming world to illustrate what a low-end estimate of the volume of oil gushing from the Gulf of Mexico seabed looks like if displayed as stacked barrels. (Hat tip to my elder son, Daniel, who saw this  on Kotaku.com.)

Facebook Posts to Appear in Real-Time Search Results

As of today, real-time results from millions of users’ Facebook posts will now appear in search results on OneRiot, one of the world’s leading real-time search engines.

clipped from mashable.com As of today, real-time results from millions of users' Facebook posts will now appear in search results on OneRiot, one of the world's leading real-time search

Dotty Says, Most Doctors are Quacks

clipped from dorothydemarco.blogspot.com Bobby says, I am a lovable character. I also heard him say that I am a "bitch". I have to admit I don't remember him saying that in a long time. Bobby is always taking me to the doctor. I don't want to go to the doctor -- ever. Most doctors are "quacks". All they really want is your money. I have to admit when Bobby takes me to the doctor we always get our monies worth. He has this damn book and he opens it up and starts going down the list - one by one.

Alzheimer's Statistics, Insight, Reading List

• Test Your Self for Alzheimer's Dementia
• Alzheimer's Statistics
• What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?

About the Alzheimer's Reading Room

At the Alzheimer's Reading Room (ARR), we discuss solutions to common problems that Alzheimer's caregivers face each day.

On ARR, we discuss : caregiving, dementia, communication, wandering, incontinence, cleanliness, patient symptoms, anxiety, loneliness, nursing homes, behavior, and what to expect as the disease progresses.

We discuss issues that are important to Alzheimer's caregivers.

We provide specific insight, advice, and solutions based on real life experience.

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