LOOKING AFTER YOUR MEMORY COULD BE AS IMPORTANT AS LOOKING AFTER YOUR HEART.

A lady was driving quickly home, but as she passed her friend's house she noticed that she was having a garage sale and so she just couldn't resist stopping.Of course she ended up buying lots of things. She quickly paid and loaded her car; " My husband isn't going to be pleased." She said. "But I'm sure that he'll be delighted." her friend said in surprise. Normally he would be,, but he rang me to say that he'd broken his leg and I was on my way to take him to hospital." Life goes on doesn't it.Even carers are human, yet so often patients are ungracious. Of course this happens more with alzheimers victims, but even dementia patients can be a trial. Most carers are genuine people, but I saw something on the net that caught my eye. The title was 'Gaslighting.It intrigued me and stirred a faint memory. In fact it was a movie made in 1938 starring Ingrid Bergman. Thee story is about husband who deliberately convinces his wife that she is mad. He fiddles with the gas lighting and makes spooky things happen which of course only poor old Ingrid Bergman can actually see. Imagined 'gaslighting' is a serious problem for many dementai and alzheimers sufferers. Patients are not only convinced that the carer is carrying out bad things against them such as stealing, but also lying as well. Apparently this is a big problem and it was brought home to me the other day when I complained to Julian that she rarely ate breakfast or lunch with me anymore. She was dumbfounded as she usually does. This is not too difficult to deal with as of course my own dementia is not yet at such a level that I don't believe her. She has started something that others with similar blank spells to mine might also try. This is a book in which a record of meals etc is kept and she gets me to sign each time she enters a meal shared. Sounds crazy, dementia and alzheimers call for desperate measures. Weather hot here. Boysie still swimming. Bobby the parrot still not talking very much, but still eating his apples. Keep taking the tablets. David Barnato.