Our Families Journey Caring for a Mom with FTLD-MND

It is important to know as you read this journal that this was Cathy's life post diagnosis...

To know Cathy Truly you must know that she was: a Wife, Mother of 3 boys, Grandmother of 9, Sister, Niece, Aunt, Daughter, and Friend.

Our families journey began with Cathy's diagnosis the week of Thanksgiving 2006, Cathy was 52. Her original diagnosis was Pick's Disease/FTD. Looking back her symptoms most likely began 3-5 years before diagnosis. Most of the Doctors have told us that from onset of symptoms to death... the average timeframe is 4-7 years. (sigh) In the end her brain autopsy showed Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration with Motor Neuron Disease FTLD-MND. (Basically... Frontal Lobe Dementia with Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Nail Polish - Ice

Nail Polish... Ice. The first time she asked me to pick "Ice" up for her at the store I was confused. At that time she was able to explain it to me. She wanted fingernail polish called Ice, she was out of it. Now, if you know Cathy, you know that she did not wear alot of fingernail polish. This all started last year. Last year she went out to Georgia to visit her sister, who was stationed in the Army there. I remember her showing me her nails before she left. She was excited about this trip, her aunt & niece were also going with her.

Since the trip she has progressed to putting the polish on in spurts. Since early summer this year it has gotten much worse. If it is a day that it is on her mind she may remove it 3-4 times a day. And then touch it up every hour or so... whenever the idea pops into her head.

After she visits I will see it around my house. A little pink nail polish on the fridge handle, on a fork she took out of the dishwasher, on the coffee table, or any random place. It does make me smile & think of her. Just look at the bottles in the picture above... see all the polish on the lids?
These were just sitting on her dresser at home.

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