Diary – Nothing has changed!

Wednesday 29th September 2021

After yesterday’s rubbish head afternoon. I’m up early, dressed and out the door at 7.15am.

The weather has been so rubbish this week, my walks have been as and when a fine spell appeared.

Yesterday was a wet and windy weather day…having said that the rain did clear a little in the afternoon.

I was able to get out for a walk with Toby to the Nature reserve, that made me feel better, even if there was grey sky’s.

Grey sky’s makes photography difficult…rubbish lighting and wind are not a good combination, I was really struggling to keep the camera still when trying to capture my subject.

After being out for an hour in the blustery wind it time to head home.

I have quite a busy day today at 10am I join the Dementia Diaries, somethings haven’t done for months…I enjoyed seeing everyone that attended today and the discussion was an interesting one too. Driving Licences was the topic. The system for renewing driving licences is a little all over the place at the moment due to Covid. I have been waiting for mine to be renewed for some months now.

I have had a letter from the DVLA confirming I can drive unless my doctor says otherwise.

In a couple of weeks I will be having a full medical to assess if I am fit to drive…keeping my fingers crossed. Otherwise it’s gonna be trams and trains for me.

I have a couple of hours free time to tidy round and write some of my blog before the first meeting with the YoYo group which is run by the Memory Clinic and Alzheimer’s society.

We are meeting in a cafe which I am so pleased about as I hate the memory clinic! I wonder why…oh yes I received my diagnosis there and it’s also on the top floor…4 flights of stairs with glass sides!

It was lovely to meet up face to face. It was just nice to sit and chat and catch up…Just as we are all in conversation everyone catching up. We are all requested to go out side. A little confused as it’s freezing outside as to why we are doing this, the Alzheimer’s coordinator or what ever they are called, explained that the cafe is open to other people and needed to speak to us all together.

We where freezing …what a conversation breaker!

With helicopters flying over and traffic noise…Why would you do this when everyone was mid flow…breaking up peoples conversations to go and sit outside in the cold just so the person running the group can speak…why couldn’t they speak inside?

Are we an embarrassment because we have Dementia?

I had been asked to chat with a person on my arrival whom had been recently diagnosed. I don’t know if I was given choice really, but I was happy to chat.

Not a lot in common only a dementia diagnosis we chat.

After a while, me being positive explaining that there are lots of groups available and it’s not all negative. Keep doing things just as before. The person told me that the doctor had explained that he/ she may only have around 7 years and just to take one day at a time.

Wow! This makes me so sad that Doctors are still saying this!!

IS NOTHING CHANGING!!

How can these Professionals keep being so NEGATIVE!

How do they really know how long we have to live when we receive our diagnosis! Where do they get this 7 year figure from?

Looks like I only have 4 Years left!

He / she also proceeded to basically say …what do I know about dementia.

The doctor said …he / she can’t plan his or her life because of the diagnosis.

I hate listening to people that are so deflated by a diagnosis and believe everything the doctor has said…Doctors know the best!

Doctors might know about how the brain is made up…neurons…nerves…functions, but do they really understand dementia?

Do they realise we are still the same person!

Do they know what it actually feels like to be told you only have 7 years and you can’t plan your future!

No they don’t know how it feels unless they have actually had that experience.

HOW NEGATIVE can a person be!

If I had listened to everything the doctor told / said to me when I received my diagnosis…Well I certainly wouldn’t be sketching or painting.

Thinking about what I could have been like if I had done everything the doctor said, only makes me shudder…let’s just say my life would be very lonely and boring with no inspiration to carry on living a happy life…No, No not thinking about what could have been!

Please, please why can’t we have a more positive approach to Dementia! It would change so many peoples outlooks when receiving their diagnosis.

Positivity and dementia will never be, if it doesn’t change at the point of diagnosis!

Enough negativity ! Time for me to leave the group.

Back home, time for a brew and a natter with hubby before my next zoom meeting.

A catch up with the people from Woodbrooke…the happiness… the positivity is just …well it almost hugs you…not a negative word.

This is the difference between groups.