Dementia

Defined as: a syndrome (group of symptoms) associated with a progressive loss of memory and other intellectual functions that is serious enough to interfere with performing the tasks of daily life.

Tragically, the older women across the street from my grandmother has been diagnosed with said syndrome. It is one of the most heartbreaking things to visit and see this frightened woman's face pressed against the window. She forgets who she is, where she is, and it generally leads to a panic attack. It has gotten so bad that her husband has had to put a piece of ply wood to block the front door (from the outside) and fashioned all the doors with child-safety devices.

Ever since the woman has been affected with this syndrome, my grandmother has been rushing over to the house to hear the latest gossip from her poor tragic-struck husband. Naturally she brings food to justify her coming over, and he pours his heart and soul out to her, thinking that it is a private matter. Only it's not.

My grandmother has been using the woefully depressing stories of this older woman as dinner conversation. Everyone laughs at how she sometimes gets out of the house and wonders around the block, dazed, lost and confused. They frown at just the right moments, cluck their tongues and whisper under their breath a pray for the poor husband. And everyone time I bring it up about how awful exploiting the situation is, my grandmother simply snaps, "I bring them dinner!"

Oh, well then by all means, continue.

Is anyone as disgusted as I am?

(Up next: My best friends boy)

Oh my!

How behind I am in my posts.

Hmmm.... Today is a very busy day for me, so perhaps tomorrow I will catch all up.

Let's see what we have to cover:

• Doctors appointment (cringe)
• Valentines Day (scream)
• An incurable disease used as dinner laughs (gag)
• A dear friends boyfriend obsessed with me, going so far as to call me mistress (cringe, scream, gag)

These will be an interesting next four posts.