Cancer

In the book, "Refuge" the author states eloquently how the word, cancer, kills the person first. "It begins slowly and is largely hidden." This is true of dementia too. While cancer seems to multiply by dividing its cells, dementia's destruction is less understood, as least by me, but it too begins slowly and is largely hidden. It too is a death indictment; more so than cancer. When I think I do not fully understand the impact of the disease of dementia on the brain, all I have to do is re-read the column of Dr. Paul Donohue to see that medical experts do not seem to understand the process either. Of Dementia with Lewy Bodies he says, "Lewy bodies are peculiar material within brain cells, which somehow bollix up brain function." While I also do not understand the destructive process, I do see the resulting damage and changes.

Both mother and daughter in the book, "Refuge", find solace in solitude, as do I. A quote in the book by Eudora Welty when asked what causes she would support, "Peace, education, conservation and quiet." It seems she has covered most of them. That is another reason this house is so good for us. We have the proximity and easy travel into the largest area town, while also enjoying tremendous serenity.