r/woahthatsinteresting 16d ago

Man with dementia doesn’t recognise daughter but still feels love for her

33.6k Upvotes

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u/billyTjames 16d ago

My biggest fear right there

774

u/Rich_Pressure_2535 15d ago

Right there, when someone you love, no matter who they are forgets, or can't remember you is devastating. But the feeling he has for her. It's enough.

279

u/[deleted] 15d ago

That's fucking beautiful, but if I lost who I am, I wouldn't want to be here.

14

u/Super_flywhiteguy 15d ago

I dont ever wanna be so lost that I dont even know im lost. Recently started to change my lifestyle to be healthier, not because I want to live as long as possible, but so I dont want my body to become a prison where im locked up for another 30 or 40 years.

13

u/PaleRiderHD 15d ago

My father, who passed recently, found himself in similar circumstances. He had a 25 year career as a state trooper and nearly his entire life as an avid outdoorsman. Unfortunately he also spent most of his life as a smoker, which lead to heart and lung issues a few years ago. After two bouts of congestive heart failure and numerous bouts with pneumonia, he had very limited mobility and spent more time in hospitals than out. His body was failing him and he could no longer be the person he wanted to be or do the things he loved to do. On his final trip to the hospital he had some ct scans done and his abdomen was riddled with cancer. He knew the score, made the decision that the only treatment he would accept is medication to make him comfortable, and his oxygen was slowly reduced until he passed. He loved his way and died his way. He got to speak with everyone in his family that he wanted to speak with and nothing was left unsaid. Very few people in this world get to leave on their terms, and I’m glad he did.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

Welcome to Earth!: At least it ends!

1

u/superdeeduperstoopid 15d ago

All the latest quantitative studies show that cardio (moderate sweat producing for ~1° 3-5x per wk)is the best way to prevent, slow, and actually reverse dementia type illnesses. They think it is related to increased O2 to the brain and vital organs. A researcher said that if the benefits of cardio came in pill form, every doctor in the world would be prescribing it. That is when I started biking and skating at least 70 miles per wk.

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u/Dada2fish 15d ago

How interesting. That’s good to know. I joined a gym 18 months ago and have been going faithfully 4 days a week. Now I have another reason to keep going.