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Early on she'd forget recent events, a few months ago she started asking if her husband had died and when. This past Monday she started asking about her mother who died over two decades ago. The best analogy I can come up with is an onion is being peeled away and that she's losing more memories going back deeper in time.
I keep seeing further declines. While for about two weeks it seemed as if she had a bit more energy we're back to less energy and more confusion. She kept asking me on Sunday why I didn't come with people. I have no idea what she meant but my brother avoided her for a week due to the flu, so maybe a poor way of asking about him.

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Going back in time is common. Mom forgot her husband but remembered her parents and siblings that she knew at a very early age. Try to look for conversation pieces like picture magazines from when she went to high school. I kept mom's junior high yearbook. Also find music sites that stream music from high school days. My mom surprised me by singing entire lyrics from old tunes even at age 98. I have a video of her singing before she passed which I cherish
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Reply to MACinCT
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Like Daughterof1930 I also have some good memories of Mom's alzheimer's journey.

Mom was under care in her home and caught Covid from a caregiver. Mom survived Covid. Mom had not said a sentence in over 18 months. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table with two CNA's at shift change. They were talking about Mom's recent bout of Covid and how they did not think Mom would make it. Mom chimed in saying a complete sentence, "I'm not going anywhere."

As Mom had barely said a word in 18 months and certainly not a complete sentence it makes me smile and chuckle everytime I think of this.
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I think your analogy is pretty good.

Weirdly we would see a bit of improvement every summer. I think it was because Mom was able to get out in the sun more, pickup pine cones in the yard, and walk more in the summer.
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Alzheimer’s is both progressive and individual, no two people experience it exactly alike. Your analogy isn’t bad. Learn all you can, there are great books and resources through Alzheimers.org. I have amazing memories of my aunt’s journey through Alzheimer’s, she lost remembering me fairly soon, but when she knew no one at all and was mostly non verbal, she attended the church service at memory care. There she sang every song word for word, no prompting or written word needed. The mind is both sad in what it loses and amazing in what it keeps. I’m sorry you’re in this place with your mother and wish you both peace
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