Thursday, December 17, 2009

Alzheimer's Disease and the Holidays

We don't decorate for any holiday at my office. This isn't some sort of "Bah! Humbug!" thing as much as we're just too busy to put them up and take them down.

Decor here is fairly spartan. A few generic pictures. On a counter, like most doctors, I have various anatomy models that I use to explain things to patients.

So yesterday afternoon, as I was walking a demented lady back to my exam room, she stopped and looked at them for a minute.

Then she turned to her son and said "Look, Steven, they have Christmas decorations up over here."


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16 comments:

  1. AmandaDecember 17, 2009 at 7:42 AM

    Aw. I hope her dementia goggles are always so kind!

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  2. JulieDecember 17, 2009 at 7:47 AM

    Now if she had said "Halloween" I could sort of understand it ...

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  3. AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 7:48 AM

    I'll see your vertebrae and raise you a Brocca's, too.

    Pattie, RN

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  4. AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 8:15 AM

    Maybe those models do look festive compared to where she lives!

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  5. RonDecember 17, 2009 at 8:16 AM

    The lady has taste... I can tell she has a thing for the minimalist look.

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  6. AmbulanceGirlDecember 17, 2009 at 9:15 AM

    It's a dismembered Santa Claus.

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  7. student dr. blazeDecember 17, 2009 at 10:35 AM

    *awesome* :-)

    do you also have Netter's drawings that patients confuse with art?

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  8. AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 2:10 PM

    Dexter Christmas anyone? Gives a whole new meaning to "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" and especially "Jack Frost nipping at your nose!"
    Don't forget!
    "Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly" and maybe they won't give you half eaten boxes of chocolates!
    Hahahahahahaha!

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  9. CherylDecember 17, 2009 at 2:13 PM

    I think I would rather be in her world, actually!

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  10. Sarah GlennDecember 17, 2009 at 4:20 PM

    In her final illness, my grandmother was convinced that it had to be Christmas because I was visiting her. It didn't help that my mother hadn't taken down the decorations yet (in February) because seeing them made Granny so much happier. It was her favorite holiday.

    It might have been this lady's favorite holiday, too, but her eyesight leaves something to be desired!

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  11. ChrisDecember 17, 2009 at 4:43 PM

    Nothing like singing carols around the yule brain.

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  12. MOJITOGIRLDecember 17, 2009 at 4:44 PM

    Can you sell some Dr. Grumpy Christmas ornaments on your website? I'd love a couple of shiny brains to liven up my tree!

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  13. FizDecember 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM

    Put the yucky things on on your sale site!

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  14. The Nice LadyDecember 17, 2009 at 6:28 PM

    Clearly it's a A nativity scene, a crèche... can't you people see anything?

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  15. Ladyk73December 18, 2009 at 12:44 AM

    oh...I see all those cute angels singing melodies.....
    And a couple of biug fuzzy x-mas sheep... all in the cute nativity you have there

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  16. LayneApril 22, 2010 at 1:46 PM

    Christmas at the Aadam's Family house!

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So wadda you think?