The Awakening

Ma with hollow eyes
October 17, 2012

Could it be? Is Ma getting better?  Have we found a solution to the "crazy gene?"

The last few months have been a wild emotional ride.  My mom was declining again, unable to speak and walking was becoming more difficult for her; mom needed to be held up, she tried to sit as we walked short distances.  I stopped trying to get her to walk because she seemed to be forgetting how to use her legs.

Ma's eyes were hollow, she had what I began to call the "death stare."  It was as though she was in another world.  I was left wondering if she was living in the realm of the dead whenever she got the hollow eye look.  It was sad to witness but it was fascinating, where was she?  Was she with my dead relatives?  I was ready for the call from the nursing home nurse, telling me that my mom had passed.

Then...

I got an email from our Naturopath Doctor, Dr. Barton.  He told me that he may have found a solution to my mom's dementia.  

"What?!"  He caught my attention.

It's a long story, Kismet.

Short story... Brad Pittman cured his mom's dementia with Lysine.  He wrote a book about his mom's rise out of her mental fog; his book, "Ma Is Back" gave me a sense of hope.  

I began to ask myself questions.  Could it be?  Could my mom get well?  Will this simple solution work for my mom's dementia too?  

My mom started taking Lysine, the amino acid on November 1, 2012.  Immediately, she had improved cognition.  She began communicating with the nurses.  She tried to start conversations with other residents.  Mom, she began to feed herself again.

Today, mom knows who I am again.  No longer am I her "mother."  When asked who I am she will look at me, smile and then answer, "Oh, that's my daughter Sue." 

It is a miracle.  My mom, she is coming back too.  

I have so much more to say about Lysine, but I will save it for another post.  All I can say with confidence is my mom is getting better.  She smiles.  She laughs.  She is beginning to say phrases like, "Oh, I was meaning to tell you..."  Clear as a bell, words that my mom often said to me.  

Friday, I told her about some old Uncle Al videos that I had transferred to DVD.  My mom lifted her head and said, "Is he still alive?"   I lied.  I told her that he is living with Maryann in New Hampshire.  Uncle Al, Ma's brother, passed almost 2 years ago; she never knew.  I couldn't tell her when it happened.  I didn't think she would be able to handle the news in her demented state of mind.

Mom, she is waking up.  She knows she is getting better.  Dr. Barton told us it could be 6 - 12 months before she is dementia free, time will only tell.

All I know is visiting my mom is fun.  I never know what she will say or do.  It is like watching an 83 year old baby grow and relearn skills that were once taken for granted.  Soon, she will begin physical therapy to help her walk with a walker. 

My Mom feeding herself, smiling, laughing and talking to me
November 7, 2012