正文
5）日落綜合症 - 阿爾茨海默病的現實
對貝蒂的每一次探訪，都是泰迪和我的快樂。我們和貝蒂一起看家庭相冊和剪貼簿，玩拚字遊戲，和家人一起吃飯。讓我奇怪的是，她通常是拚字遊戲的得勝者。有一次，她堅持要我留下來，據說是把我當成她童年的玩伴了。
很多時候我和泰迪都覺得貝蒂的病沒有那麽重，甚至想把她轉到一個年齡較輕患者的部門去。我們對她所在部門患者的狀況感到震驚。
不過，我們一般在下午5點以前離開，因為貝蒂吃晚飯比較早，飯後就睡覺。病人為什麽要這麽做？因為他們，包括貝蒂，患有一個阿爾茨海默特有的症狀，叫做日落綜合症。太陽落山後，他們變得不安，焦慮加重。阿爾茨海默症患者逐漸失去記憶，先失去近期記憶，然後失去長久記憶。比如，貝蒂讓泰迪帶她回家，聽起來很合理，但她想去的家是她兒時的家。
當貝蒂失去了對環境的記憶和認知，每一刻都要重新了解她在哪裏。由於她不知道自己在哪裏，不斷會感到害怕，感覺被拋棄和不安全。我們也聽說，貝蒂跟我們在一起的時候，是她最好的狀態。
阿爾茨海默病患者的現實是殘酷無望的。
6）通向天堂之門的最後路程
貝蒂的健康狀況在2007年迅速下降。她的雙腿變得虛弱，背部的傷痛加劇了她的痛苦，最終限製了她的行動。更糟糕的是，她得了膽結石。85歲高齡時，她動了手術，把膽結石取了出來，還在恢複期逃過了肺炎的一劫。當我們在2007年7月4日獨立節探望她時，露絲跟我們分享了她對這位勇敢而甜美的小女人的欽佩。
就在我們準備為她慶祝一下時，醫生在她的腰椎上發現了一個骨折。不料，在他們決定手術方案之前，貝蒂倒下了。我們剛從假期回來不到一周就得到通知，貝蒂被送到護理院，她的時間指日可數了。
星期二，貝蒂決定不再吃食物、喝水了。她告訴護士，“有什麽用？” 貝蒂曾經說過，當她停止走路時，“時間就到了。”是的，貝蒂做出了自己的決定，下決心走了。
我們星期三趕到護理院。貝蒂睡在床上，進出昏迷。她的嘴唇有些幹裂，偶爾疼痛得哼一下。每當她醒過來，看到泰迪，聽到羅傑(泰迪的哥哥)特有的聲調時，她的臉上浮現了慈愛和滿足的微笑。
護士加大了嗎啡的劑量以緩解她越來越重的疼痛，她的呼吸變得更加困難。星期五下午，護士對她進行了最後一輪檢查。貝蒂的腎髒正在關閉，肺部充進了水。她的牧師來了，我們，包括泰迪的哥哥、姐姐及其家人，圍在貝蒂身邊，為她舉行了最後的禱告。
後來，露絲勸我們先去吃點東西，她覺得這位勇敢的女士可能還有一段路程要走。我們匆忙離開，不想露絲的電話沒有多久就來了。從星期二到星期五，四天的時間裏，貝蒂走完了人生最後的路程。終於，她自由了，高高興興地由天使陪伴著進入了天堂之門。
我感謝婆婆貝蒂給了我一個可以執子之手的人。我也感謝她向我展示了一個勇敢而優美的暮光之旅。
-- My Mother-in-Law Betty and Her Battle of Alzheimer (Part III) --
5) The Sundown Syndrome – The Reality of Alzheimer Disease
Every visit to Betty was a joy to Ted and me. We looked at family photo albums and her scrapbook together, played scramble games, and ate out with families. Surprised to me, she often won the game. One time she insisted that I stay. I was told that she thought I was her childhood playmate.
Quite often I did not feel she was sick, and we even thought of moving her to a unit with younger people. We were really shocked by the conditions of the patients in her unit.
However, we were encouraged to leave before 5 p.m. as Betty would have an early dinner and go to bed afterwards. Why did the patients do it? Because they, including Betty, had a sickness called the Sundown Syndrome. When the sun was gone, they became restless and their anxiety became worse. As Alzheimer patients gradually lose their memories from the most recent to the remote, they would lose their sense of security, not knowing where they were. For example, Betty asked Ted to take her home, which sounded reasonable, but the home she wanted to go to was her childhood home.
As she lost her memory and recognition of environment, every moment she would have to be told where she was. She constantly lived in fear of abandonment and insecurity. We also heard that Betty was in her best condition when we were around.
The reality of Alzheimer’s patients is cruel and hopeless.
6) Her Departure to the Gate of Heaven
Betty’s health went into a downward spiral quickly in 2007. Her legs became weak and back injury aggravated her pain and eventually limited her mobility. To make it worse, she got a gallstone. At age 85, she underwent an operation to take the stone out and even survived a pneumonia during the recovery. When we visited during the July 4th holiday in 2007, her nurse shared her admiration of this brave and sweet little lady - with tears.
Before we could celebrate her victory over the gallstone, her doctors found a fracture on her lumbar spine. Before they could decide about surgery, Betty collapsed and could no longer stand. A week after we came home from the holiday visit, we were told she was in a nursing home and her days were numbered.
On Tuesday, Betty had decided not to take food and water anymore. She told the nurse, "What's the use?" She once said that when she stopped walking, "that's it." Yes, Betty made her own decision and determined to go. We rushed to the nursing home on Wednesday. There, laying in her bed, she was in and out of coma. Her lips were a little dry, and she turned around with occasional cry of pain. When she saw Ted and heard the signature laughter from Roger, Ted’s brother, however, she smiled, with such fondness and love.
She was given morphine to ease her growing pain, and her breath was more labored. By Friday afternoon, the nurse made a final round of check on her. Betty’s kidney was shutting down and her lung was filled with water. Her Pastor came, and we, including Ted’s siblings and their families, stood around Betty and said final prayers.
Later, Betty’s nurse told us that this brave lady might still have a while to go. We left to get something to eat until the nurse phoned. From Tuesday to Friday, it took her four days to walk her last steps to the Gate. Finally, she was free and happily entered the Gate with the angels.
I thank my mother-in-law Betty for giving me a person who I trust to take my hands. And I thank her for showing me her courageous and graceful sunset journey.
Every visit to Betty was a joy to Ted and me. We looked at family photo albums and her scrapbook together, played scramble games, and ate out with families. Surprised to me, she often won the game. One time she insisted that I stay. I was told that she thought I was her childhood playmate.
Quite often I did not feel she was sick, and we even thought of moving her to a unit with younger people. We were really shocked by the conditions of the patients in her unit.
However, we were encouraged to leave before 5 p.m. as Betty would have an early dinner and go to bed afterwards. Why did the patients do it? Because they, including Betty, had a sickness called the Sundown Syndrome. When the sun was gone, they became restless and their anxiety became worse. As Alzheimer patients gradually lose their memories from the most recent to the remote, they would lose their sense of security, not knowing where they were. For example, Betty asked Ted to take her home, which sounded reasonable, but the home she wanted to go to was her childhood home.
As she lost her memory and recognition of environment, every moment she would have to be told where she was. She constantly lived in fear of abandonment and insecurity. We also heard that Betty was in her best condition when we were around.
The reality of Alzheimer’s patients is cruel and hopeless.
6) Her Departure to the Gate of Heaven
Betty’s health went into a downward spiral quickly in 2007. Her legs became weak and back injury aggravated her pain and eventually limited her mobility. To make it worse, she got a gallstone. At age 85, she underwent an operation to take the stone out and even survived a pneumonia during the recovery. When we visited during the July 4th holiday in 2007, her nurse shared her admiration of this brave and sweet little lady - with tears.
Before we could celebrate her victory over the gallstone, her doctors found a fracture on her lumbar spine. Before they could decide about surgery, Betty collapsed and could no longer stand. A week after we came home from the holiday visit, we were told she was in a nursing home and her days were numbered.
On Tuesday, Betty had decided not to take food and water anymore. She told the nurse, "What's the use?" She once said that when she stopped walking, "that's it." Yes, Betty made her own decision and determined to go. We rushed to the nursing home on Wednesday. There, laying in her bed, she was in and out of coma. Her lips were a little dry, and she turned around with occasional cry of pain. When she saw Ted and heard the signature laughter from Roger, Ted’s brother, however, she smiled, with such fondness and love.
She was given morphine to ease her growing pain, and her breath was more labored. By Friday afternoon, the nurse made a final round of check on her. Betty’s kidney was shutting down and her lung was filled with water. Her Pastor came, and we, including Ted’s siblings and their families, stood around Betty and said final prayers.
Later, Betty’s nurse told us that this brave lady might still have a while to go. We left to get something to eat until the nurse phoned. From Tuesday to Friday, it took her four days to walk her last steps to the Gate. Finally, she was free and happily entered the Gate with the angels.
I thank my mother-in-law Betty for giving me a person who I trust to take my hands. And I thank her for showing me her courageous and graceful sunset journey.
我的婆婆也是這個病，也走了。我永遠懷念她也感激她給我一個好老公。