So some people know that I am a carer…. for my dad.

We have good days and bad ones but the bad ones are outweighing the good at the moment and frankly dementia is enough to test anyones’ patience… patience you never really knew you had but seem to find everyday… 

So for anyone facing a ‘crap day’ or when you think your life is challenging take a peep into yesterday’s afternoon. I am no mental health expert but I know that sometimes I could loan my dad out to make you appreciate how lucky we all are.

So when at work yesterday I received a call from dementia dad; he had misplaced his keys. A common occurrence. Don’t panic dad I will be round at lunch time. I arrive keys are no where to be found. The stories he can invent as to where they are in the flat are frankly mind blowing….after turning the flat literally upside down (I was there at 0830 to get him up and dressed and the keys were there..)and dad foraging through the communal waste (he gifted me with a used black bin liner!) we deduced that he had infact walked to the bank with the keys… cue the trip to the bank where they know me as he often looses/misplaces his bank card and they have to call me to allow access to his money without his card because he can’t answer security questions!

As we enter another lady is literally handing his keys/card/lanyard number (it’s complicated) to a member of staff… turns out dementia dad literally dropped them from his hand outside their office (hence the lanyard which he forgets to use!) so we have keys etc… now you would think he would be happy?! Er no! Meltdown central! Thankfully a gin and tonic late yesterday evening seemed to help post him needing a lie down and some more sobbing like a blow whale …

So readers my pearls of wisdom are this! Enjoy life and enjoy and savour those moments that are sent to try us… someone out there has a plan for you and sadly there is no script… there certainly isn’t one for dementia. When you watch a grown man cry about the loss of his keys, which when put into perspective is really silly, I can tell you that you take stock of the shit and it isn’t always pretty but like I say tomorrow is another day and you get one shot at this play called life. 

No script or rehursals just plain blagging it!