I wrote recently about the cognitive challenges my husband faces thanks to his diagnosis of PD, but he is not the only one. I sometimes joke about the fact that he has physical challenges so I get to be the one who develops dementia. That way we can take care of each other as we age. I know it’s really not funny because I am seeing a definite decline in my abilities, especially when I am tired, which is most of the time these days. While my cognition isn’t being tested by medical professionals, it is being tested on a daily basis by life happenings.

I am getting older and things are slowing down. Added to that, my role as CarePartner is often stressful and I find myself encountering tasks or decisions I haven’t faced before. Multi-tasking was never my strength and now it is my constant as I care for husband, house and self, usually in that order. Sleep interruptions are common and I seldom feel that I get enough rest which definitely impacts my brain’s ability to function well. Life sometimes, quite literally, seems to be kicking me in the brain.

It scares me, the thought that I might actually develop a cognitive disease like Alzheimer’s, because what would happen to us then? Who would care for my husband, who would care for me? How would we manage? I talk to my doctor regarding my concerns and she listens and tells me not to worry because that worry will just add to the stress I am already feeling. So, I take my fish oil supplements and I do my brain games and I exercise regularly. I try to get the sleep I need and I take breaks to give myself a chance to recuperate. I do what I can to keep brain and body functioning and healthy knowing that I cannot stop the inevitable. That’s a lot to mull over on a Wednesday afternoon, I think it’s time to take a nap and give it all a rest.