Phone Calls from Caroline
Viewing comments for Chapter 7 "Who's My Mama?"A cousin calls her younger cousin to rant.
28 total reviews
Comment from LJbutterfly
Dementia is a horrible disease that affects different people differently. You remember some things on good days and forget other things. You wrote this story with sincerity and a bit of humor. Fortunately, Caroline has people who love her and will be patient with her. Thanks for sharing this story.
reply by the author on 15-Feb-2024
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Dementia is a horrible disease that affects different people differently. You remember some things on good days and forget other things. You wrote this story with sincerity and a bit of humor. Fortunately, Caroline has people who love her and will be patient with her. Thanks for sharing this story.
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 15-Feb-2024
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Thank you for a excellent review and comment. She has her daughter and me who love her. But I don't live near her and I don't really understand her relatrionship with her daughter. She claims she doesn't think she is her daughter but on some level she understand she is because she calls and asks her bring her things and them complains because she does stay long.
Comment from Ric Myworld
As sad as dementia and getting old is sometimes I have more fun talking the them than anyone. I used to visit a Mason's home twice a week just to help out and visit with patients. And no I'm not a Mason. After my dad got dementia I never really knew if he knew something or not. He could still play people like a fiddle. His wife used to go to church on Sundays. So, I'd ask why he didn't go to church with her, when he'd ask me where she went. And he'd say, She needs forgiveness, but I don't need to go, since, I didn't do anything wrong. Then he'd laugh. Thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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As sad as dementia and getting old is sometimes I have more fun talking the them than anyone. I used to visit a Mason's home twice a week just to help out and visit with patients. And no I'm not a Mason. After my dad got dementia I never really knew if he knew something or not. He could still play people like a fiddle. His wife used to go to church on Sundays. So, I'd ask why he didn't go to church with her, when he'd ask me where she went. And he'd say, She needs forgiveness, but I don't need to go, since, I didn't do anything wrong. Then he'd laugh. Thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you Ric. They are fun to talk too, even as we hope we never get that entertaining. Thanks for sharing about your dad. I suspecte my dad use his age as an excuse to say whatever he wanted to. I hear you had a birthday yesterday. I hope it was good one. Age is a private number so don't share it. LOL
Comment from patcelaw
This is a very sweetly told story that you have shared with us about your cousin. I enjoyed listening to it while it is a sweet story. It is also sad and many ways. I had a friend in Las Cruces who was suffering from dementia, and she couldn't remember from one minute to the next what I had talked to her about. It sounds like Zoe, your cousin is in better shape than that. Patricia.
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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This is a very sweetly told story that you have shared with us about your cousin. I enjoyed listening to it while it is a sweet story. It is also sad and many ways. I had a friend in Las Cruces who was suffering from dementia, and she couldn't remember from one minute to the next what I had talked to her about. It sounds like Zoe, your cousin is in better shape than that. Patricia.
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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Thank you Patricia. My mother's half sister had no short term memory but she never lost her long term memory. The short tern lasted less than five minutes.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Thank you for sharing this with us. In the Hispanic community, they often do call their daughters 'mamma'. Never really figured out why, but they do. I enjoyed reading. I know this has to be hard for you.
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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Thank you for sharing this with us. In the Hispanic community, they often do call their daughters 'mamma'. Never really figured out why, but they do. I enjoyed reading. I know this has to be hard for you.
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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Thank you Barbara. Actually I don't mind her calling and needing to talk. It makes feel good that talking to me makes her feel better so I encourage her to call. I can usually make her laugh and stop feeling sorry for herself.
Comment from Rosemary Everson1
Memory loss is an ongoing thing with dementia. The memory care units in nursing homes are a blessing. Either you must go along with the person and just let her speak. Listening is a huge thing with dementia.
reply by the author on 13-Feb-2024
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Memory loss is an ongoing thing with dementia. The memory care units in nursing homes are a blessing. Either you must go along with the person and just let her speak. Listening is a huge thing with dementia.
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 13-Feb-2024
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This is true. I don't try to correct her unless she is asking for my help. I generally let her talk. Some days she sounds like a normal person. She is actually some better than she was four or five years ago so I wonder why it comes and goes.
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
You wrote a perfect example of dementia/ alzheimer's. Mom's Mom told us all stories of her being a race car driver in Le Mans. She had thrilling stories. It upset my mom, but, I visited more often I think for the stories. My mom was different. She gave away a lot of her belongings to strangers. And got very combative at times. Not her character at all. Then she just got quieter and quieter. This is our reward ? :-( Karen
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2024
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You wrote a perfect example of dementia/ alzheimer's. Mom's Mom told us all stories of her being a race car driver in Le Mans. She had thrilling stories. It upset my mom, but, I visited more often I think for the stories. My mom was different. She gave away a lot of her belongings to strangers. And got very combative at times. Not her character at all. Then she just got quieter and quieter. This is our reward ? :-( Karen
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2024
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Thank you Karen. It is too so many people seem to get this as they get older. I hope they can find some way to keep it from happening. So of the the they say are just too amusing to pass up.
Beth I appreciate the six stars.
Beth
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They say doing things differently from time to time helps, learning new things, reading, Playing games especially word games and trivia. Writing using your imagination. Doing new things. All these things have your brain make new pathways. So, me and my sisters do all of them. So far so good.:-)
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
That WOMAN said she is dead.
No, YOUR mother's name was Elaine.
It seems those with dementia first forget their own family members - it's sad, and I'm sure hurtful to those who are "forgotten".
Thanks for sharing.
xo
Pam
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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That WOMAN said she is dead.
No, YOUR mother's name was Elaine.
It seems those with dementia first forget their own family members - it's sad, and I'm sure hurtful to those who are "forgotten".
Thanks for sharing.
xo
Pam
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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Thank you Pam. I really appreciate the review. I know it must hurt her daughter. I don't know why she has not trouble remembering me. I think some part of her knows who is her daughter but she is upset because, the daughter has control of her money and the house they built for her is being rented out to pay for her stay in Assisted living.
Comment from Wendy G
It's lovely to see how patient and caring you are with your cousin. It must be very hard for Christine, as well as for Caroline herself. Dementia and Alzheimer's are dreadful diseases, but you are probably right to keep a sense of humour.
Edit: You're mother's name was Elaine (Your)
Wendy
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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It's lovely to see how patient and caring you are with your cousin. It must be very hard for Christine, as well as for Caroline herself. Dementia and Alzheimer's are dreadful diseases, but you are probably right to keep a sense of humour.
Edit: You're mother's name was Elaine (Your)
Wendy
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2024
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Thank you Wendy. I will always spend all the time she needs. No one knows when they might find themselves in need of someone to talk to. I can ususlly cheer her up.
Betj
Comment from Jeano
Oh, boy. This reminds me of times I've had with aging relatives. Not my parents, they were sharp as tacks right up until the end, both living into their 90's. It takes a lot of patience. I liked how you used two different fonts and bold for one. It made it a lot easier to know who was on first. LOL Looking forward to the next chapter. Click!
reply by the author on 13-Feb-2024
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Oh, boy. This reminds me of times I've had with aging relatives. Not my parents, they were sharp as tacks right up until the end, both living into their 90's. It takes a lot of patience. I liked how you used two different fonts and bold for one. It made it a lot easier to know who was on first. LOL Looking forward to the next chapter. Click!
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 13-Feb-2024
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Thank you for the nice review. My parents were sharp until they died as well but the didn't live into their ninties. Mom died before 81 and Dad at 87.
Comment from davisr (Rhonda)
Hi Beth,
I remember you writing about her before. Sometimes you just have to laugh. My poor mother kept thinking her house was actually an old friend of hers house. They were living in identical houses, in her mind, and you never knew which one she'd be in. I can say, though, she always knew me and my sister. I'm glad your cousin has you!
Take care,
Rhonda
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Hi Beth,
I remember you writing about her before. Sometimes you just have to laugh. My poor mother kept thinking her house was actually an old friend of hers house. They were living in identical houses, in her mind, and you never knew which one she'd be in. I can say, though, she always knew me and my sister. I'm glad your cousin has you!
Take care,
Rhonda
Comment Written 13-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you Rhoda. That is interesting about the house because before my cousin went in the Assissted Living she thought there were two houses that looked alike and she never knew which one she might wake up in. She thought people moved her around in the night to make her think she was going crazy.
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Oh wow, that's exactly what my mother went through. My sister looked it up and said there's a name for it. It's called Capgras syndrome, and can be caused from an injury. My mother had lost her balance going down stairs and was injured pretty badly. This might have been a trigger, but we don't know for sure.
