Michelle* has Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (EOAD). A person is categorized as having EOAD when they have symptoms or the disease before the age of 65. Michelle was diagnosed in 2011 and since then she has been grappling with the changes in herself, the changes that are yet to come and the reactions of her friends… [Read more…]
May 16, 2011
Yes, there’s precisely a day, a moment when I knew I was a grown up and I had to make my own decisions. No, it was not an all important decision about what college to go to or what subjects to study. Nor was it my 18th birthday. Nor did I have to choose the… [Read more…]
January 22, 2011
…My mother died. But this is the prelude to the final eventuality. She had been sick for so long that I used to think she will be in that state for many more years to come. I had resigned to taking care of her. She didn’t speak, eat, move. Just lay on a bed breathing… [Read more…]
May 25, 2010
My mother was really special to me. Not just because she was my mother, but also because she was a lot of fun. I learnt the meaning of what “fun” meant from her! And it’s almost 10 years since she died, and 14 years since I lost her to AD. I still miss her. If… [Read more…]
November 22, 2009
My mum was never around to give me advice on life’s problems. I learned things the hard way. I never want to be in a position where my wisdom doesn’t pass on to my children. Life is uncertain, so here is what I’d like to tell my daughter. Dear Darling Baby Girl, Pick a wild… [Read more…]
November 18, 2009
Iris Murdoch had Alzheimer’s Disease. My mum did too. And the strange thing is, it was around the same time. 1995-96. Iris died in 1999, mum in 2001. Iris was 70 odd, mum was 49. “Iris” is a beautiful film. I have never read any of Iris Murdoch’s books. I think I am too daft… [Read more…]
September 26, 2009
I watched her wither, I wished she died,And then I burned in shame, I tried to hide.I spoke to none, I knew I’d be shunned,In my own private hell, I began to reside. She knew me not, yet I wanted her to know,I was her little one, the one she bore.But she continued to fray,… [Read more…]
September 17, 2009
I like myself. I like that I can learn about life from anyone. No matter what their age. I like that I can respect even the youngest person I know Anoushka – my niece – she is my connection to childhood, to innocence, to experiential learning. A few minutes spent with her rejuvenate me and… [Read more…]
October 20, 2008
My 7-yr old niece, Anoushka, my sister and I were in the car yesterday. Anoushka sweetly asked my sister, “Ma, will you take me to see the Taj Mahal?” My sister was so moved, she said, “Yes, baby…I will surely take you to see the Taj Mahal”. She then took a right turn to come… [Read more…]
August 13, 2008
Agni’s mother now had not much time, Bells from afar rang out the chime, A sign for mother to move ahead, The unknown path she had to tread. And mother knew not who sat by her side, Though her eyes were opened wide, For diseased death had settled in there, Where once had lived affection… [Read more…]
March 19, 2008
She sat by the road with scraggly hair and tattered clothes,She ate hungrily from a plastic bag, unaware of her life’s woes. All five fingers in the food and then into her mouth,She stuffed herself with glee, uncaring if she was uncouth. She watched carefully as her mother laboriously swept the street,There was unabashed joy… [Read more…]
May 23, 2012
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