Meeting him for the first time on this particular day, you might think he was a "mean old man" if he scowled at you or called you a obscenity.
However, if you were introduced to him the day before or after, you'd likely be charmed by his infectious smile, wink, laugh or the funny faces he makes behind somebody's back. It could even be as little as an hour or five minutes earlier or later …
It's that damn Alzheimer's disease that creates those instant and heartbreaking transformations. It's that damn disease that steals the essence of the man he used to be, our husband, dad and grandpa.
It's Alzheimer's that shrinks his world and keeps him close to the comfort of familiar surroundings. Luckily, he's not one of the estimated 6 in 10 who are wanderers. He's content to sit for hours and observe the world that continues to swirl around him. Occasionally he'll shake his head at the odd or not-so-odd doings of others. He savors his glass of grape juice as if it's a fine wine.
It's just another day in the world of Alzheimer's … where he could be either the mean old man or the sweet old man …
We don't want either. We just want our husband, dad and grandpa back.
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