# "You're Not At The Stage Where You Need It Yet" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-at-the-stage-where-you-need-it-yet/592154 "2011-08-10T01:57:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-at-the-stage-where-you-need-it-yet/592154/1 "2011-08-10T01:57:54Z")
, said my Alzheimer’s counsellor to me yesterday, and it felt like she’d just slapped my face to get my attention. She was telling me and D about a program the VA offers which provides a small stipend for caregivers once I get to a “certain point” of needed care. I guess maybe she felt that because I’m able to laugh at my disease and joke about it, that this might not affect me, but it had me wishing she’d told D that in private and just left me in my Til Eulenspiegel persona. Honestly, I DO think about it, especially lately that forgetfulness is getting more frequent, but I think I prefer the “me” that laughs about this rather than the “quaking in his boots” one. Absolutely nothing against my counsellor, she’s a wonderful person and has been a godsend to us. I’m just wondering if I’m hitting the snooze button on an internal alarm when I shouldn’t be. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-at-the-stage-where-you-need-it-yet/592154/2 "2011-08-10T06:04:22Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > , said my Alzheimer’s counsellor to me yesterday, and it felt like she’d just slapped my face to get my attention. > > She was telling me and D about a program the VA offers which provides a small stipend for caregivers once I get to a “certain point” of needed care. > > I guess maybe she felt that because I’m able to laugh at my disease and joke about it, that this might not affect me, but it had me wishing she’d told D that in private and just left me in my Til Eulenspiegel persona. > > Honestly, I DO think about it, especially lately that forgetfulness is getting more frequent, but I think I prefer the “me” that laughs about this rather than the “quaking in his boots” one. > > Absolutely nothing against my counsellor, she’s a wonderful person and has been a godsend to us. I’m just wondering if I’m hitting the snooze button on an internal alarm when I shouldn’t be. > > Thanks > > Q I think that if you were hiding your head in the sand and hoping the disease would just go away, it would be a problem, but you’ve been pro-active and you’re clearly making the preparations you need to. In that case, I think it’s perfectly understandable to want to stick with the laughter. I often think of your good humor and perseverance when faced with medical issues of my own - if I can handle them half as well as you, I’m doing well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-at-the-stage-where-you-need-it-yet/592154/3 "2011-08-12T05:11:15Z")
Most of the humor is here on the Dope, because I feel I am among friends. On the blog not so much since I talk about my symptoms and the accompanying depression. I just don’t want to give the impression that I’m going “bravely (gently) into that good night”, because I do think about this seriously quite often, already forgetting my grandchildren’s names, wodering when I won’t know them anymore, and missing you guys. I think the “one day at a time” philosophy is a little harder for us than most. And thank you, **iftheresaway** for the kind words. And my thoughts are with you and your own medical issues. Quasi