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Thread: Amnesia and the Self That Remains When Memory Is Lost

  1. #1
    Senior Member Monkfish's Avatar
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    Amnesia and the Self That Remains When Memory Is Lost

    I find this article absolutely fascinating. Every few months, something reminds me of it (ironically) and I read it again.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...s-lost/266662/

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  3. #2
    Senior Member Nightsky's Avatar
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    I have a friend whose mother recently died with Alzheimer's. She didn't remember my friend or any of her other children but her personality was the same as when she was younger. And she still remembered the hymns that she loved. Shortly before she died her children videoed her singing some of the hymns with them - a special time.

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    Both sad and interesting that article.

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    FresnoJoe (08-23-2015)

  7. #4
    that has to be disconcerting to someone dealing with it.. and the family and friends.

    that article sure gives a good look at it.

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    FresnoJoe (08-23-2015)

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    Frozen Chosen A.J.'s Avatar
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    Interesting read.

    My husband's mom spiraled down into complete dementia. We quit going to visit when she started talking to him like he was his dad, her husband. He couldn't handle it. I don't think she ever lost who she really was, in fact, I tend to think people become more who they really are when dementia sets in. And she was a cranky little thang. She's been gone 5 yrs, coming up in Oct.

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    FresnoJoe (08-23-2015)

  11. #6
    A very good article; thanks for posting it.

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    FresnoJoe (08-23-2015)

  13. #7
    That was a good read. My grandmother suffered from dementia before she died. She had a hard time holding on to new memories. I would visit her and she'd ask me the same questions in the same voice cadence every 10 minutes. The first answer, would be very detailed, subsequent answers would get more and more brief. I think that was probably a blessing for her. She hated being away from home, even though she was in the nursing home for several years, she always thought she was only there for a few days and would be going home soon. After she suffered a catastrophic stroke, we took her home for 10 days before she died. So, in a way she was right, she did get to go home. I just hope part of her knew that.

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  15. #8
    So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John's Avatar
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    My parents needed a break from my grandma with alzheimers so we took her in for awhile.

    She would always say "It's so good to be back in Ireland!"

    And I would always say..

    "We're so glad to have you!"

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  17. #9
    I'd always go with the flow with my grandmother. There was no point in correcting her. She'd get upset and then forget about it anyway. She would tell me that her sister called her, (they had been estranged for many years) I knew she hadn't spoken to her, but I would always say, "That's nice, how is Aunt Dot?" I found out later, my aunt had already been dead a few years by then.

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  19. #10
    Frozen Chosen A.J.'s Avatar
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    My Sisters-in-law always thought they had to tell the truth to their mom. So if she said Charlie (her husband) was out in the field and would be in for dinner soon, they'd always tell her that he died in 1975 which caused her to mourn over and over again... Same with her sister Isabel... same with whatever...... I always told them to just say something like "that's nice, mom" agree or something other than the hard truth. But they seemed to think doing it their way was better just in case she became lucid and caught them in a lie!!! I thought it was more difficult.

    When my husband had open heart surgery 7 years ago, we made a point of not telling his mom... it was something that she didn't need to know, but they told her anyways... I was ticked at them, but they said that he's HER son, and they thought she should know.

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    FresnoJoe (08-23-2015)

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