The Delusions Are Real

[Deesse23]

When my Dad had dementia he was convinced he was on his old ship, painting while eating cookies and asking me to hand him the box, even though he was laying in a hospital bed. He could still recognize me (the reality), while at the same time living in the delusion.

I'm going through something like this with my mom right now. She wants to go to "the other house, where my bed is" so she can go to sleep, when we're at home and we don't have another house at all. She asks me for her brother Tom's phone number so she can ask him about something, and Tom died 12 years ago. I hate it. I hate it. I can't change it.

Mom still recognizes me, and knows she's not on a boat, but goddamn, Sam, it just hurts.

Same stuff happened with my grandma. I went to her house, met her in the garden. She recognized me and asked if her son, my das was still alive. Of course he was. But the confusion on her face.....it was hearbreaking.