there were signs - I ignored them

In mid 2006 (a year and a half before the diagnosis), we take a mother/daughter cruise to Alaska. I don't realize anything at the time, but looking back I see the signs. She was up every morning at 5am and had no sense that I was still sleeping in our 40sq room.

These can be common attributes of people with frontal temporal Dementia. They become self-focused and lack awareness of others. At the time I just thought as she was getting older and becoming more stuck in her ways.

In December 2007 (3 months before diagnosis), my mom picks up $1,300 worth of heaters for my new house. She pays cash. She leaves them on the sidewalk outside the house. It's snowing.

A week later I'm at a dinner party at her house. I leave my car to take a taxi home. In the morning I discover she has driven my car with the emergency brakes on. It was a Mercedes. "I couldn't get it off" she said.

In January 2008, (1 month prior to diagnosis) in her house I find 8 bowls of popcorn on the dining room table.

Holy Crap I thought.  

But I was hungry - so I tested a couple kernels.  They were fresh so in I started eating. 

Within seconds my mom looked at me and said "Are you done with that?" 

Being slightly irritated I said "No Mom...I'm gonna sit here and eat the whole bowl - you have 7 others". 

"Okay" she said. 

A few seconds later:

"Are you done with that?" 

That's when I thought - this is a problem...you just can't deny there is a problem when there are 8 bowls of popcorn in the dining room.

Of course when I look back I can see the signs clearly, at the time I just pushed them aside wanting to believe all was fine. 

But it clearly wasn't...

I snapped these pics in the first few months. 

 

*If you look closely, you can see each one of these bags has been opened along the top with a pair of scissors.   

*Don't get me wrong, I like the idea - but my mother didn't drink.