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0|0|0|||1||random reminscence|Gryphon||14:58:47|12/31/2017|I was just reminded by something that was mentioned elsewhere of the time I called my grandparents to let them know... I forget%2C actually%2C whether it was the after-action report on the Great Brain Adventure%2C 10 years ago%2C or when I was diagnosed with MS a couple of years later.  Something neurological%2C anyway.  %0D%0A%0D%0ACalling my grandparents on the phone was always a bit of an adventure%2C because Gramp is%2C and has been for years%2C pretty much as deaf as a post%2C but Gram hated talking on the phone%2C so would pretty much only do so when she could absolutely not avoid it%2C and then only for the absolute minimum necessary.  As an example%2C here is a complete transcript of the last telephone conversation I had with her%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btt%5DGRAM%0D%0AHello%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AME%0D%0AHi%2C Gram%2C it%27s Ben.  Just called to wish you a happy birthday.%0D%0A%0D%0AGRAM%0D%0AWell%2C thank you%2C dear.  Bye now.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28click%29%5B%2Ftt%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AOn this particular occasion%2C she didn%27t come to the phone at all%2C but Gramp had his hearing aid in%2C so he was more or less able to cope with the phone%2C and I gave him the short version of what I%27d learned from the doctors about my neurological woes.  At which point the following ensued%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btt%5DGRAMP%0D%0A%28deadpan%29%0D%0AAre we absolutely sure it%27s not syphilis%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AGRAM%0D%0A%28shouting at him in the background%29%0D%0ALeonard%21%0D%0A%0D%0AGRAMP%0D%0A%28still deadpan%29%0D%0AYour grandmother wanted me to ask that.%0D%0A%0D%0AGRAM%0D%0A%28utterly indignant%29%0D%0A%5Bb%5DLeonard%21%21%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Ftt%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AA random fond memory.  She%27s gone now%2C of course%2C and he%27s fading%2C so it%27s nice to remember them as they were.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Mercifully%2C thus far it seems Gramp has the kind of Alzheimer%27s where you still know who you are%2C who everyone else is%2C and where you are%2C but each day is filled with bemusement and repetition.  I say mercifully because that%27s %5Bi%5Dbad%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but I would submit that it%27s not %5Bi%5Das%5B%2Fi%5D bad as the kind where everyone is a stranger%2C you%27re trapped in an unfamiliar place%2C and everything that happens is terrifying and incomprehensible.  Also%2C more than once over the course of the past 14 months%2C I have caught myself reflecting that if he had %5Bi%5Dchosen%5B%2Fi%5D a time to plunge headlong into dementia and lose track of everything that is happening outside of Old Folks%27 Jail%2C he could hardly have picked a better one.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A random reminscence|MoonEyes||05:24:51|01/02/2018|%3E%5Btt%5DGRAM %0D%0A%3EHello%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EME %0D%0A%3EHi%2C Gram%2C it%27s Ben.  Just called to wish you a happy birthday. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EGRAM %0D%0A%3EWell%2C thank you%2C dear.  Bye now. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%28click%29%5B%2Ftt%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AMy mother has a certain tendency to be entirely convinced that whatever it is she is doing is more important than whatever reason I am calling for. So%2C it tends to be something quite similar to this in many cases%2C except that it goes %22I%27ll call you later%2C bye %28click%29%22 instead. Which in all honest is rather insulting%2C many times. Ah%2C well.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%5Btt%5DGRAMP %0D%0A%3E%28deadpan%29 %0D%0A%3EAre we absolutely sure it%27s not syphilis%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EGRAM %0D%0A%3E%28shouting at him in the background%29 %0D%0A%3ELeonard%21 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EGRAMP %0D%0A%3E%28still deadpan%29 %0D%0A%3EYour grandmother wanted me to ask that. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EGRAM %0D%0A%3E%28utterly indignant%29 %0D%0A%3E%5Bb%5DLeonard%21%21%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Ftt%5D %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EA random fond memory.  She%27s gone now%2C of course%2C and he%27s fading%2C so %0D%0A%3Eit%27s nice to remember them as they were. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis elicited a rather massive %2ASNORK%21%2A from me. I could easily see my own grandfather doing something similar%2C from what I remember of him. Unfortunately%2C he never really got the chance%2C as he suffered a rather massive stroke when I was in my early 10s. Before that%2C however%2C he had JUST the sort of humor that it would have surprised no-one if he did this.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28Mercifully%2C thus far it seems Gramp has the kind of Alzheimer%27s where %0D%0A%3Eyou still know who you are%2C who everyone else is%2C and where you are%2C %0D%0A%3Ebut each day is filled with bemusement and repetition.  I say %0D%0A%3Emercifully because that%27s %5Bi%5Dbad%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but I would submit that it%27s not %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Das%5B%2Fi%5D bad as the kind where everyone is a stranger%2C you%27re trapped %0D%0A%3Ein an unfamiliar place%2C and everything that happens is terrifying and %0D%0A%3Eincomprehensible.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C the expression that comes to mind here is %22plague or cholera%3F%22 I don%27t think I%27d want cholera%2C but if the alternative is the bubonic plague...yeah.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C more than once over the course of the past 14 %0D%0A%3Emonths%2C I have caught myself reflecting that if he had %5Bi%5Dchosen%5B%2Fi%5D a %0D%0A%3Etime to plunge headlong into dementia and lose track of everything %0D%0A%3Ethat is happening outside of Old Folks%27 Jail%2C he could hardly have %0D%0A%3Epicked a better one.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AAnd I can only agree. You think there is some sort of temporary version I could contract%2C last another 3 years or so%3F I mean%2C I%27m not even on the same continent%2C and I%27d rather not have to know what%27s going on with all of that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A...%21%0D%0AStoke Mandeville%2C Esq %26 The Victorian Ballsmiths%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5D%22Nobody Want Verdigris-Covered Balls%21%22%5B%2Fsmall%5D
2|1|0|||||RE%3A random reminscence|thorr_kan||17:36:18|01/02/2018|It%27s always good to remember the good times.  Your grandpa%27s delivery is priceless.  Reminds me of an exchange with my grandma before the first date with the girl who ended up my wife.%0D%0A%0D%0AGrandma%3A  And where do you thing you%27re going%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AMe %28exiting my 12-year old cousin%27s birthday party%29%3A  I have a date%2C Gramma.%0D%0A%0D%0AGrandma %28giving me the fisheye%29%3A  Did you just graduate from high school yesterday%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AMe %28she was there%29%3A  Yes%2C Gramma.%0D%0A%0D%0AGrandma %28shaking her head%29%3A  Well%2C be good.  And if you can%27t be good%2C be careful.  And if you can%27t be careful%2C name it after me%21%0D%0A%0D%0AEntire room%3A  GRAMMA%21%0D%0A%0D%0AGrandma%3A  %28cackles in glee.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI exit%2C stage right%2C blushing furiously%2C but laughing.  It %2Awas%2A a good first date.%0D%0A%0D%0ADementia sucks.  You%27ve got my sympathy.