Chuck has us talking about what we fear the most. I have Epilepsy; and the one thing I fear the most is the other diseases that come with this disease as I age - the ones I have absolutely zero control over when I get old. I don't fear death... never have. After so many seizures, an overdose (which wasn't my fault)and being a person who just accepts what goes on in her life... I've found that the one thing I would hate the most would be to forget my nearest and dearest.
The ward is full today.
It was empty yesterday – but it’s full
today.
It’s full of voices, people, noises and
colours... oh! So many colours, colours and waves... too many to look at, so
many I have to look at the blank, smeared tabletop to make the colours...
Stop...
Stop...
That’s better.
Closing my eyes, it’s time to breathe again.
The door over near the nurse’s station opens
and closes. Oh! Visitors! It’s 10am already? I look over and see three people.
They’ve looked my way and one waves at me. I have no idea who it is but wave
back.
Were they here yesterday? Last week? Last
month?
No idea.
I put my hands on the table and find they’re
shaking; but I can’t stop them. Damn it, I wish they would.
It’s just a tiny
tremble, but...
“Hey sis.” He says, “It’s me, your brother,
my wife and your niece. We came last week to see you.”
Oh good, it was last week, “Hi. It’s good to
see you.”
His smile falters as he realises I don’t
remember the visit, “We thought to bring some photo albums to show you. Get
your memory going again.”
“Okay.” I smile.
They were there for a few hours. We have
lunch downstairs – where I’ve never been on my own – and I found their visit
wonderful. My niece gave me a photo album she had refurbished with everything
from my life, their life and other photos from outside of here. It was to
remind me of good things.
The thing is: I don’t remember losing the
memory of these things.
My life just started fading like the old
photographs – like those receipts you get from the store. You know the ones:
after about a year, you can’t read what’s on them, so you end up throwing them
away. That’s how my memory has been lately.
That’s not all either.
I’ve been forgetting how to cook food. I
nearly burnt down my house one day when I didn’t know how to turn off the
stove. Strange how it was that I knew how to turn it on. I also took one look
at my car and – with the keys in my hand – had no idea how to unlock it, or
drive it. It was just for a few minutes, but it happened a few times.
But the one thing that really hit home –
bothering me – was when I arrived home one day and I pulled out the house keys
and didn’t know what they were used for. I still have a set of them; and still
have no idea what the big ‘Hawks’ key is for – but it looks impressive.
The doctors said that my mental decline was
more sudden than they expected as such a young age. However seeing how many seizures
had damaged parts of my brain, they were surprised I had been able to live on
my own as long as I have.
So, here I am in a nursing facility.
One minute I’m good. I’m fine. I can talk to
you about philosophy and the big sciences of the world.
The next? I’m wondering
what my name is... all within about two hours.
I’m not insane.
Epilepsy patients have this problem. When
they get old, their condition changes. It changes them and their brain as well.
They have a high chance of dementia, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease – or if
they’re unlucky enough, all three. I unfortunately, scored the first one. This
was my biggest fear; that this would happen to me.
And now it has, I wish I had travelled more
in my 40’s...
Am I in my 40’s?
The ward is full today.
It was empty yesterday – but it’s full
today.
It’s full of voices, people, noises and
colours... oh!
Hi... what’s your name?
My name is... um.
Oh
darn, I knew it before, when... I have some photos here. I don’t know where I
got them from, but they have some people in them I think I know.
