Update

"Lewy body dementia, the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease, causes a progressive decline in mental abilities." Mayo Clinic

Readers have asked for an update on my spouse's condition.  He continues to decline, cognitively and in motor skills.  It is harder to take him on outings.  Even on level and dry ground, he fell recently.  I was the one who got hurt while trying to keep him from being hurt.  It sometimes takes two people to get him out of a chair, and he needs a walker to support him when he walks.  Like many with dementia, he wavers between being pleasant and angry and demanding.  Hallucinations are more frequent, as are the variations in lucidity and alertness.  Physical complaints, i.e. back pain, stiffness, abound.  It is easy for me to become discouraged, and his demands are hard to handle -- even when he wants something that is virtually impossible.  Perhaps the reason I do not write much about how we are doing is that it is discouraging.  But, that is a reality for those of us who are caregivers.  Despite the choices we are able to make within the financial constraints we may have, the role of caregiving takes a toll on us, unless we are very, very careful to prevent its damage by making sure we have adequate support.