While flipping through the T.V. channels on Sunday night, I was attracted to CNN which was airing a program from 2012 “Glenn Campbell – I’ll be me”. For two hours I was caught up in his journey with Alzheimer’s. He wanted to make people aware of this devastating disease. I could not help but call to mind some of our own Sisters and family members. Saying now, I understand why some Sisters are exhibiting behaviours so unlike the persons I have known.
Glenn and his wife and children decided to perform a number of concerts across the United States. As the concerts progressed more and more characteristics of his Alzheimer’s surfaced. At first he could remember and sing many of his original songs like “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “By the time I get to Phoenix”. As his memory failed, he used a prompter and his daughter would sing along and accompany him on guitar. She would tell him “I’ll remember for you.”
Off stage they showed his times of frustration and anger, sometimes striking out physically. The family struggled to understand and cope. Kelly, Glenn’s wife, said, “A merry heart is good medicine.” At one point, Glenn said looking straight into the camera, “I’m still here but yet I’m gone.”
Once more, I’m into the present with a Sister friend of mine who will say “I have dementia, you know.” It breaks my heart that I can’t change the progress of this diminishing disease but I can’t walk away, although it is hard to see the physical, as well as, the 0mental price that it is taking on these Sisters.
Glenn also recognized the signs that he was slipping and with his daughter wrote and recorded a song about his future, one line was, “It never ends. Best of all I’m not going to miss you.” A very stark but true reality.
So let us share what we can, while we can – time is a vicious thief so we must make every opportunity to stall the progress of Alzheimer’s.
“I’ll remember you, will you remember me!”
Sr. Barbara Vaughan