Alzheimer's Disease Support Group

I had thought that it was important for my sake to take my newborn up to see my mother. I have been doing so for a couple of weeks now.

Last week, my son was fussy a bit and my mom addressed him with saying, "you're getting to be a big cat". It blew me away. She wasn't far away from seeing him, but it kinda surprised me. She does have cats in the home. I guess she would just naturally assume. I just thought it was sad that she doesn't realize what he really is..

Oh my, you've got your hands full with a newborn and seeing after your mother Ann. Is your mom given to slang? A "cat" used to be a really cool person many years ago. When my son was a newborn I sometimes thought that tiny little cry sounded just like a box full of newborn kittens, so maybe the sound of your son fussing reminded your mom of a kitten. Hopefully she realizes he is really a person and not a cat. Alzheimer's is the pits. ANW

She hasn't been known to use a lot of slang. I think maybe you're right -that she thinks he sounds like a kitten.

I don't think she fully realizes he is a person. She refers to him as a good kitty at times. There's no point in correcting her, unfortunately. Sad what your mind goes back to..

Hello Ann,

My Dad has recently been diagnosed with Azlh. Unfortunately in our case, Dad did not get diagnosed soon enough. He sometimes calls me by sister's name. This has been going on for a year, or so. I finally dismissed it as a personal thing. I have to remember, this is not something he means in a hurtful way. I still correct him though!

I was blessed with a great nephew last April. My niece is 22 and single mom. She helps me with Dad, thank goodness. She takes the baby over to Dad's all the time. He acts like the baby is a trigger for his nervousness and gets aggravated. He cannot remember the baby's name either. I have told her, "Take that baby with you everytime you go over there! Correct him every time. He needs to acknowledge he has a great grandson." She has called me crying and it breaks my heart. I constantly assure her that Grandpa is sick and he doesn't mean it. She has her hands full with the baby but she still makes time for Dad, and check's in on him often. I have to make myself and her believe he doesn't mean it. It is really tough, though.

I want you to know how much this group has helped me. I feel the support keeps me going, especially during really bad times. You always have us and you are not alone. Your friend, number6.

Thanks so much for your story, Number 6.. You know, I had put off having my first child when my mom first got diagnosed and I finally thought I'd better get on it. I was running out of time to have one.. I had thought my son would be the ray of sunshine.

Don't get me wrong, she does enjoy his company (even though she thinks he's a cat). There are moments when he is crying that my mom even mentions that he may be hungry so I guess there's some recognition there. I hope it doesn't get to the point where she becomes upset with him.

It certainly isn't very easy. I really feel that this is the year that we'll need to put her into a home. Another reason why I feel it's so important to take my son up to see her before she ends up in one..

Thanks again for your support.

Sometimes, with Alzheimer's Disease, a person's words get mixed up. They may mean one thing but it comes out another. My Great-Grandmother will sometimes call her cat a bird but it is clear that she actually does not believe it is a bird. Since so many brain cells are dying, it is hard for them to clearly express themselves, even in early stages. Did your Mother treat the child as though it were a cat? If not, she might have just gotten her words mixed up.

Good point MJ

Tony

Exactly what I was thinking too - my Mom has terrible difficulty with words. "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Birthday", "Wagons" rather than "Mountains". Kid and cat sound so much alike. She may have forgotten the word for child or kid and although she knows in her head she is referring to a human being, she thinks the word she is looking for is cat.

It's hard to say if her words have gotten mixed up. It's not as though she tries to pet him -just calls him a good kitty and all that.

I often wonder what my Mum sees...she often calls a 40+ wheelchair bound women a 'naughty little boy' I wonder if that is what she actually sees, or because she was a teacher and the woman sometimes 'acts out' she is being taken back to when she taught. She forgets all sorts of nouns...., we have realised little of this matters...we just enjoy the moments we spend with her and hope and pray that her day hold happiness for her. Nouns really are over-rated!