A Writer should learn from her experiences

I am slowly learning from my experiences. Today I learned that I have to find all the dirty dishes scattered through out the house before asking Mom to wash the dishes. My mother only washes the dishes that she finds in the kitchen because she cannot remember leaving dishes in any other room.

My mother has begun leaving dishes of unfinished food sitting all over the house. Mom has also begun eating cereal out of saucers instead of cereal bowls. Mom has Alzheimer's disease and one of the symptoms is short-term memory lose.

Today, as everyday, Mom is upset about something. I have no idea what she is upset about because she never says. Mom just sits and talks to herself, even when I am in the same room she continues to talk to herself. Mom gets angry when I leave whatever I am doing to sit beside her and talk. Anger is another symptom of Alzheimer's disease.

Mom will not do dishes or anything else if I do not ask her, so  I ask her to do dishes. I put dish soap in the dishpan and then fill the pan with water. If I leave it up to Mom, she will not use dishwashing liquid, so I get the dishpan ready for her to wash dishes.

Mom acts completely different now, she used to wash dishes without being ask. The medication she takes helps, but it is not a cure for the disease. I see the change in my mother and I want to cry, but I cannot cry in front of Mom. My mother does not know she has Alzheimer's and she would not believe it if I told her. I cannot cry in front of Mom because she would not understand, so I go out to the car and say prayers.