My Gramp

My Gramp has been in hospital for a fair few weeks now, he's been the main reason for my project being based around memory, having resently been diagnosed with altsimers his way of conversing has now become the subject of my analisation, it boggles my mind, facinates me, yet I probably shouldn't find such pleasure in the subject. It's easy to let your emotions run when he looks straight through you after you've been sat in a chair opposite him for an hour chatting and laughing, then you realise he hasn't a clue who you are...Or as I've found when he does eventually remember exactly who you are and says your name solidly for half an hour to anybody that will listen 'this is Esme she is my granddaughter'. Getting old was something I'd thought about but never really considered, now I understand why people say they don't want to get old, there is no graceful way of dying as far as I'm aware, just the same as there is no way of going to the toilet gracefully, yet we all do it, even the most graceful people on the planet go to the toilet every day, they will also die... All pride must be lost when you can no longer drink your coffee from a mug, instead from a plastic tumbler, or you don't know if you'll make it to the loo in time, and if you do, it's only because you've asked someone to take you there, or being spoon fed by your granddaughter or son, or a nurse that two seconds ago was a stranger to you... One thing my gramp keeps saying is 'I'll get over it' this makes me laugh every time, mainly because if you know my Gramp you'll know he always has a bee in his bonnet so whatever it is, he won't be getting over it very soon! This project will hopefully help me to continue thinking positively about memory loss, and raw confusion, more importantly it will let me exploar memories of my gramp's, friends, and family, and cherish them through hopefully some stunning responses. 

I will be posting photographs from the hospital accompanied with a little bit of writing responding to how he is that day...