Remember Me

By Mick Carmody #DAM2016 #WAM2016

Remember me I am the one who used to be here
I am the one who you spoke to without fear
I am the one who you listen to but do not hear what I say
Remember me I am the one you used to love now for which I pray

Why don’t you call, why don’t you talk
You avoid me when you see me when you walk
This cruel disease robbed us of love and friendship that we used to share
Back then you used to care

Remember me because I am still here
I am told that you do no longer know what say
Simply start with, hello, is what I hope and pray
Remember me please remember me

Thank you Mick Carmody for sharing this wonderful poem, and for the story below for our continuing series of blogs for World Alzheimer's Month 2016, themed 'Remember me'.

"Remember me my old friend, before I was diagnosed we were so close, sharing everything in our lives as one. We were as close back then.

You know we used to share everything just like good friends should do. We no longer go on picnics with our families and kids, or do you all go and not include me.

All my old workmates avoid me at all cost, now that they know what caused my strange behavior and that I could not remember anything I had or had not done.

Now my phone, my car and my life all sit idle because nobody remembers me. Out of sight, out of mind is what hurts me the most.

I look at my mobile phone contact list which says two hundred and fifty three in total of I call just three. That is my mother, my wife and me.

I have been diagnosed with a type of dementia which affects the two frontal lobes in my brain. I can still talk, walk, run, play and have fun.

Remember, I am still here I am still me. I am still the same person as you knew back then. The way I act and speak are still the same. My brain is the one that is causing the problems, you see I have an incurable disease, there is no cure, something is eating away at my brain but hopefully it will be years before I am affected so much that I cannot walk and talk.

I may knock things over and drop other things to numerous to name but I can still hold a conversation with all of the guys who used to come around without notice, because you all are considered part of my family.

You avoid me when you can, I presume that is because you are scared about what to say in case I dribble or say something that may embarrass you.

Even if you did have to speak to me I would imagine that you would be looking around to make sure that none of our friends saw you and your face would be blood red.

Back then I believed that we all cared about one another and for one another, how wrong was I?

There is one thing that you don't see and that is that I AM STILL HERE I AM STILL ME.

I am told you do not know what to say, how about starting with HELLO.

REMEMBER ME, REMEMBER ME "

By Mick Carmody, Copyright 2016