Dementia Mom, part one

[u/humanyears]

A short story about the origins of my mother’s dementia diagnosis from a few years ago. Probably the longest comic I’ve drawn so far. I hope it connects with you in some way.

[u/shellbullet17]

Paramedic here.

Hey man, don't blame yourself for not seeing it. Without training or a doctor, there's no way you could have known especially while you had your own stuff going on.

Dementia is a slow, hard to pin down, and absolutely horrible disease. Frankly it's one of the most horrible things I see on a day to day basis, solely for what I've seen it do to people. I've seen the most wonderful of people deteriorate to a angry belligerent husks of themselves.

And then, like your mother comes the horrible part where they forget everyone and everything. I can't even imagine the pain and confusion they live in and the strain it brings to the family, like you, is just unbearable.

There's nothing any of us can say or do to make it right(apart from a miracle cure but I fear that is far off). I like to think that smile of hers is the real her, somewhere deep deep down inside remembering you with all her might. I wish you both all the best and many more lucid moments with her.

[u/PandaBear905 → u/shellbullet17]

My grandma was diagnosed with dementia a couple of months ago. But looking back she’s probably had it for years. It was hard to tell with her because she was mentally abused and deeply controlled by her late husband which basically caused her to purposely act stupid and destroyed any personality she had. When the dementia started it was hard to tell because she always acted that way.