Nothing ever gets better than life with Jeanne.

I can’t see myself as an unhappy care-giver. It’s hard for me, for instance, to imagine the life of a care-giver that feels disgust towards one’s patient. Especially a loved one. A spouse. But I see it on the Alzheimer’s message boards. Indeed, that’s sad. It’s repulsive. I always felt bad for Jeanne. Having to live with dementia. Having to feel her mind slip away. Bit by bit by bit. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, it must have been devastating. In the later stages, Jeanne didn’t understand so much about the daily toll. I could remind Jeanne that she was happy. And loved. She really didn’t have to know much more than that. Just daily assurance. That I was with her. That I would never abandon her. That I understood. I guess that’s what I mean by being a good care-giver. Never did I feel disgust for Jeanne. Never ever. I’d find that impossible. I felt empathy for Jeanne. Pure love. Still do, almost a year since Jeanne died. Jeanne was the best thing to ever happen to me. Nothing ever gets better than life with Jeanne. –Jim Broede