This makes it easier...

This little memento that my mother had given me before Alzheimer's took a hold of her, is priceless to me. It helps keep me strong knowing that deep inside, she does remember our family and all the special memories we formed together. When I visit her now she remembers my face and gets a smile. She can't always place the connection, but I am someone she likes to spend time with. She never wants any of us to leave; just to stay and sit and watch TV with her. She seldom speaks, as I believe she does not always know what to say to us. Having someone with her makes her happy. I have read books on Alzheimer's, and I feel you are never truly prepared for the changes that occur with your loved one. The hardest thing to come to grips with is that no matter what you do, you cannot change things. Things will never get better, slowly they get worse. I guess we should feel fortunate that she is still with us after battling this disease for the last 7 years. Daily I pray that there will be a miraculous cure for this, sadly it will not be within her lifetime.

The last time my son went with me, he said "Mom I don't think I can come back anymore, it is too hard to see Grandma like this....it hurts too much". I told him that it was not about what I felt that makes me want to visit, but rather the happiness that she gets from someone wanting to spend time with her. That is what matters most.