I remember right before I graduated from high school, my dad and I turned on this TV show...we watched the pilot of a show about a woman who was in her first year of her medical internship. Oh how oddly fitting it seemed when the episode ended with main character sitting with her mom in a nursing home, and her mom doesn't remember who she is.
I remember thinking two things:
1. Wow. There's something actually on TV about Alzheimer's.
2. If Meredith Grey were a real person, she would likely be about 10 years older than me, but I'll take it.
Since then I've watched Grey's, through its great seasons ("What is that? That is 8 million. 8 million dollars does not like to have juice spilled on it.") and not-so-great seasons (Really, Izzie with the brain tumor?).
I'm not going to lie, part of me hoped I would learn something new when Meredith's mom died. I wondered if maybe it might be some way to understand something no one else would ever be able to explain to me. It's a rare thing to have a mother with Alzheimer's...when you're 15, 18, 25. It's not as rare as your age increases, so I thought perhaps there might be something I could glean from a TV episode about a young-ish person with a parent with Alzheimer's.
Then Grey's failed me...because Meredith and her mom both had this moment when they got to speak to each other when they both of course were in life-threatening situations. Grey's, been there. I had the whole life-threatening thing happen (though I was a little unaware of it at the time), and that did not happen.
Damn TV. Not solving my problems or teaching me life lessons.
So, how have I been dealing with the latest news?
Well,
1. I emailed our family and friends on Thursday night.
2. I went to work as per usual and again practiced with my students how to use quiet voices. They also did super cool things like fill out college applications thanks to a super cool teacher at our school.
3. I responded to half of the emails I got Friday during lunch.
4. After school I went shopping with my roommate, ate the rest of my pint of ice cream, and then fell asleep watching Alias.
5. Today, I laid in bed...watched more Alias, got a diet coke, made a Costco run for fruit since I can only eat so much ice cream, painted my nails, and as of late have been catching up on all the season premieres of my favorite shows (Grey's, Private Practice, and Happy Endings).
6. I wrote this blog post...because let's be honest, I don't really want to have to say any of this to people...I just want them to know already.
And that's where I am. As for my mom, my dad said she has her eyes open, but she still has not had any food or fluids.
One reason why I love the show Happy Endings:
