Aging

Since I have arrived at Josefa’s house, I have noticed the intricacies that come with her age. She has a tendency to spew food when eating and regularly leave parts of her meal on her lips or face without realizing. Sometimes she eats them after saving them for a bit. She is hard of hearing and I have to yell when I talk which makes it so that in general I just have a louder voice when speaking Portuguese. She is very headstrong and always speaks her mind regardless of how inappropriate what she is saying is. She is very set in her routine. She wakes up at 6 in the morning and walks back and forth on the 50 yard little street for one hour as she recites the rosary and prays. I woke up one morning early to spy on her and it was probably one of the cutest things I have ever seen. She is a pretty mean speed-walker. She leaves the house only to buy groceries, visit her sister, church and the doctor. She spends her days cooking lunch and “organizing the house” although we have a maid who comes in and does cleaning and organizing. She watches loads of TV and has her particular programs she likes. After drinking her decaf coffee and bread she watches TV and goes to bed around 7:30pm. I adore this woman for all of these things and the amount of care and attention she gives me.

The biggest thing I have noticed about Josefa is her problem with her memory. She forgets my name a lot for example, I will have two forks and no knife, or she will have forgotten where I went. She also never really remembers my schedule although it doesn’t change. She will lose track of time and forget what she is doing or saying right in the middle of something. She leaves the stove on a lot so I always make sure it’s off when I walk by and nothing is cooking. One morning I woke up and it was as if she didn’t know who I was by the look on her face.  She frequently says “me esqueci”(I forgot) and apologizes. I have gotten used to it and understand that she is just getting older.

Yesterday at dinner, Josefa told me that she had gone to the doctor the day before and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She said it very matter of fact and told me that there wasn’t much she could do. She explained that that’s why she looks at me like she doesn’t know me sometimes and why she forgets my name a lot. Why she can’t remember how old her grandchildren are or where her son is. I didn’t know what to say or how to react. It’s not like she is very ill and dying but in a way her memory is. I am very shocked and sad, and yet it all makes sense. I don’t know anyone with Alzheimer’s nor do I know much about it. I want to know more so that I can better understand what Josefa is going through and what she will go through. Say a prayer for her for me. Thank you.