(PAGETITLE) | Conversations of a couple going through Dementia

Ch.69 I’m Grateful We Can Still Disagree

Ch.69 I’m Grateful We Can Still Disagree November 2020 I stumbled into a difficult situation a few days ago. It concerned a man I’ll call Sidney, a Read more

Ch.68 “I think I Did OK but Not Better Than OK”

Ch.68 “I think I Did OK but Not Better Than OK” October, 2020. Once a year Pat is scheduled to take a battery of neuropsychology tests that Read more

Ch.67 “This is My House”

Ch.67 “This is My House” October, 2020 Pat makes this remark and then points out several items on our fireplace mantle that are familiar: two paint by Read more

Ch 66. Something Bad has Happened to Lakota. And Pat has a Fall.

Ch 66. Something Bad has Happened to Lakota. And Pat has a Fall. October, 2020. My horse Lakota and I have established Read more

Ch.65 A Feeling of Helplessness

Ch.65 A Feeling of Helplessness August 2020. “Ron, what’s going on in the room above us? There’s crashing sounds and Read more

Ch.64 Exhaustion and Relief

Ch.64 Exhaustion and Relief August 2020 These last few weeks have been physically and psychologically exhausting for me as Pat has endured the symptoms of bullous pemphigoid, Read more

Ch.63 Pat has Gumption

Ch.63 Pat has Gumption My guess is that if you are under 50 years old you have probably never heard the word “gumption.” It truly Read more

Ch.62 Pat Develops a Serious Auto-Immune Disorder

Ch.62 Pat Develops a Serious Auto-Immune Disorder July, 2020. Pat woke up about a month ago with liquid filled blisters on Read more

Ch.61 Pat has a Second Syncope Episode – but Doesn’t Remember It.

Ch.61 Pat has a Second Syncope Episode – but Doesn’t Remember It. June, 2020. It’s 8 a.m. and Pat has risen to start the day. I hear her exiting the bedroom, Read more

Ch.60 Pat Tells Us about A Major Decision

Ch.60 Pat Tells Us about A Major Decision Our family has begun weekly zoom sessions to lessen the isolation associated with Covid-19 safety precautions. This Read more

Ch.59 Ron Becomes Anxious and Irritable

Ch.59 Ron Becomes Anxious and Irritable Summer, 2020 Lately I’ve been anxious and irritable. I’ll talk about my irritability later in this essay, but for now let Read more

Ch. 58 Care Partner Goals: Safety, Pleasure, Joy

Ch. 58 Care Partner Goals: Safety, Pleasure, Joy Neuroscientists write that the best thing we can do for a newborn child is to offer that child Read more

Ch.57 One Year Anniversary of Ron’s Heart Stent Operation

Ch.57 One Year Anniversary of Ron’s Heart Stent Operation Today is May 23, 2020, exactly one year after I received my unexpected heart stent operation. Read more

Ch.56 Short- and Long-Term Memory Loss

Ch.56 Short- and Long-Term Memory Loss April 2020 I asked Pat what she thought of the movie we’d seen together the day before. “What movie?” she Read more

Ch 55 Working Together

Ch.55 Working Together March 2020 I’m getting our blog ready to publish as a book. It’s complicated. Today I need to do something a little tricky: is Read more

Ch.56 Short- and Long-Term Memory Loss

Ch.56 Short- and Long-Term Memory Loss April 2020 I asked Pat what she thought of the movie we’d seen together the day before. “What movie?” she Read more

Ch. 54 It's a good Thing We are Both Introverts

Ch.54 It’s a Good Thing We are Both Introverts As of today (March 23, 2020) the state of Wisconsin is officially on “Safer at Home” Read more

Ch.53 Pat Calls Me “Dad” and that Feels OK

Ch.53 Pat Calls Me “Dad” and that Feels OK March 2020. Pat has been calling me “dad” fairly often over the last few weeks. She does that Read more

Ch. 52 Ending our Book on a Positive Note.. and Starting Another.

Ch. 52 Ending our Book on a Positive Note.. and Starting Another. December, 2019 Pat and I began this dialogue just over a year ago. Many Read more

Ch 51 Many Small Frustrations

Ch 51 Many Small Frustrations Pat has become frustrated with me several times in the last few days. Sometimes she wants me to do something Read more