Of Sound, Mind and Body

Today I was once again reminded of all that I have to be thankful for. Today, I am most thankful for a clear mind and the ability to remember things. I work in a place where many are in the early and late stages of dementia. I sit here and think about just how blessed I am. I have the ability to recall things that just happened five minutes ago. I am not scared because I know where I am at and I know the people around me. And to my amazement, I can even remember what I had for dinner last night. To some that may not seem like much, but for me, it means everything. It means life is still some what "normal" for me. It means I still have my independence and don't have to rely on someone telling me where I am at every 15 minutes. I have seen many struggle with this terrible desease and trust me, I would not wish dementia on my worst enemy. I will admit dementia is something that truly scares me. My Grandmother suffered from Alzheimers for years, until she was finally laid to rest. At first, it was the little things she couldn't seem to remember. Like forgetting to take her meds, mispacing things etc. But then as the years went on and her memory got worse, she forget those who she loved. She couldn't remember names and faces. I watched as those who loved her dearly suffered from her loss of memory. It is my prayer that this disease never again affects those that I hold so dearly to my heart. While at work today, I heard the faint voice of one of our residents yelling for help. I stood up, opened my office door and made my way down the hall to our dining room. One of the residents was sitting in the kitchen area and had forgotten where she was at. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said "Please, please, please help me!" You could see the frustration as her eyes met mine. I took her by the hand, as I asked her what was wrong? She again looked at me and said "I am lost and I don't know where I am at, can you please help me?" I asked if she wanted to go back to her room and this seemed to frustrate her even more. She said, "I am not sure if I have a room here" I assured her that she did and told her I would take her there. Her face lit up, as if all the worries in the world had disappeared. We made our way down the hall and just past the Entertainment room. As we passed by, we saw her room mate sitting there. They immediately recognized one another, and it was if she had found her place. She then remembered where she was at, and as I turned to walk away, she grabbed my arm and said "thank you". As I made my way back to the front office, I couldn't help, but to recall memories of my grandmother. That is when it hit me...what if I no longer had those memories? Life is so very precious, and I pray that as I get older the memories I have will never fade away. I pray for those who are suffering from dementia at this very moment, that today would be a good day. I pray for their families and friends and most of all, I pray for a cure! I, Dallas Welch, being of sound, mind and body have a lot to be thankful for.