shutting down

I have been going to Alzheimer’s support meeting with Walt for a long time.

His wife Dorris and Miriam were diagnosed about the same time. That was over ten years ago. Walt and I used to drive 30 miles to a support group, but now he facilitates a group closer to our homes.

Walt always sends out a reminder, by email, before each meeting. I got one yesterday.

This time he said that if for some reason he could not be there, yet another Dave would coordinate the meeting.

Dorris has been on Hospice for some time. I know that, and when Walt said he might not be there, I was sure things had gotten worse, so I sent an email back to him asking about Dorris.

He said the Hospice nurse had told the daughters that Dorris could go in an hour or a week. She is not eating or drinking. Clearly she is shutting down.

When the doc said there is Alzheimer’s in our future, we know how it will end, we just do not know when.

We are going camping tomorrow, and with a little luck won’t be back for 4 or 5 days I’ll get back in touch with Walt when we get back. And, I will think about him continuously the whole weekend.

Just because we know it is going to happen does not make it any easier when it does happen.