Don Martin: One man dealing with tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease
Re “Alzheimer's crisis must be addressed now” (Opinions, Dec. 15): Thank you for drawing attention to this horrible disease. Alzheimer’s/dementia is increasing in our population at an alarming pace. My bride of 63 years began showing symptoms some two years ago and now is confined at a memory care facility at a cost, to me, of $3,400 per month. I’ll be forced to sell our home in about three months, but whatever it takes.
No financial assistance is available at that facility, however, a limited number of counties receive “California Assisted Living Wavier,” but Stanislaus and Merced Counties do not receive assistance. I have asked Assemblymember Adam Gray’s office for clarification.
My bride is/was an exceptionally intelligent lady. She wrote over 300 spirit-filled poems, but now she is not here. She is trapped in a lost childhood memory. It can’t happen in my family, but it did happen to the love of my life. Her memory capacity is probably less than 20 percent. In her muffled words, “I wish I were dead.”
Only God knows what transpires in her mind, but total confusion must be the answer. Do I cry? You bet I do, for both of us.
Don Martin, Atwater
This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Don Martin: One man dealing with tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease."