WHEN I DANCE PEOPLE THINK I'M LOOKING FOR MY KEYS

 Post 9 - February 16th 2023

Old age v LBD

Lewy Body Dementia presents in a variety of ways. It can be different things to different people.

For me with LBD, I have tried to get an understanding of what is happening without getting bogged down in all the technical medical jargon.

It appears to me the medically inclined mob tell that LBD does not progress predictably through each stage. From that I assume it is not possible to put any timeline on how this unfolds.

All I can know for sure is how this has impacted on my life.

For me to see the changes in my mind gives me indication of where things are at. And that is neither good nor bad, it is simply how it is.

So, given what I see for me, LBD has slowed down my ability to function in some areas. But as I have said before there are other areas where I do believe there has been minimal impact.

My memory is still ok, I can still hold a decent and detailed conversation and for the most part, I can still be a part of life socially.

On those points, I am noticing that my recovery from saturated exposure in a socially setting is taking longer to recover from. But I also accept that at 68 then life functions slowdown in mind and body. That can create conflict for me, it is like old age v LBD.

But the LBD signs do bother me.

Staying focused and switched on for a length of time is getting to be more difficult. I really need to be at the top of my game, to use every strategy I have in my arsenal and to bluff my way clear when I know I have drifted into any form of personal confusion.

Gaining the ability to mask and bluff is really a key right now. I know I am not being judged by others but I am being judged by me. Is that good or bad, not sure but for now that is how it is.

I guess letting go of the old self and accepting this somewhat new LBD self is very testing. Yeah, at times it is tough to do. I am clinging to the old me for as long as I can. And I am good with that.

Seriously though, in summary, I am doing ok.

Some noticeable changes include the loss of my right-side dexterity and that has been a real tough understanding. I am very much a right sided person so to find that I now have limited control of some functions on this side of my body is awkward.

The old Homer Simpson joke of 'can you touch your nose and rub your tummy at the same time' is now not funny anymore. Lining up my right-side function has deserted me in some tasks.

And I guess I am getting an understanding of the meaning, 'two left feet'. My right-side movement has become awkward at times, and I cannot make my right leg and foot respond to my mind. They have taken on an understanding of their own.

Guess that rules out a return to the disco dance floor.

Or then again, maybe it could be like the comedian Steady Eddy once said of his own Cerebral Palsy, 'uncontrolled body movement may just look like I am dancing uninhibited'.

So, for me, that could be a positive. Maybe, just maybe I could get back to the Jonny Travolta days at the Boulevard Disco in Barmera.

'I feel like dancin' dance the night away'. Watch this space.

Anyhow, for today, that's it, thank-you for checking in. Go Cats.

But I leave you with this understanding ...

One of my horses is a crap dancer ... I seriously think he has two left feet

A couple of links to LBD info ...

Lewy body dementia: Symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatments (msn.com)

Lewy Body Disease | Dementia Australia