Annie talks about what Santa did and didn’t bring this Christmas

Annie talks about what Santa did and didn’t bring this Christmas

Well santa didn’t visit me this year, but then I haven’t been particularly good. I’ve ruffled a few feathers in political circles, and I have shouted from the rooftops when I’ve seen injustices. Or it may be that santa has developed some form of dementia and forgot where I lived. Either way I’m not too fussed about not having any presents to open – Christmas is not just about gifts and food and prosecco. No, it’s about family and celebrating together. Well that’s what I’m led to believe.

Trouble is not everyone is fortunate enough to have someone around them. There are a whole host of reasons Christmas can be a lonely time. Believe you me, even when surrounded by people laughing and enjoying the festivities, dementia can rob you of that sense of wellbeing. The wellbeing you’ve tried so hard to portray all year. Conversations are had to keep up with, when sensory issues are being pushed to the limit. And you can’t even chill out with a bottle of wine because the bloody medication has the upper hand!

Retreat into a relatively quiet corner wanting to regain some dignity and composure but even here my mind goes into overdrive. I start to think of what the new year might bring, I wonder how much longer I will be able to drive, I imagine what route my dementia journey will take.

Then in the distance I hear a voice – “wake up Annie, wake up Annie – santa’s been and you need to come and see what he’s brought.” I stumbled out of my slumber and out of my bed to discover a beautiful new outfit with instructions to wear it at the prepared Christmas dinner in 4 hours time. My work started to organise Christmas celebrations so that my stress levels aren’t raised to unbearable heights. There are invitations to visit people who I’ve met during the last year, the grandchildren have asked santa to remind me that they want me to go with them to the beach lots of times in the summer. And my dogs new bed is amazing. Okay so santa didn’t bring me the RAV 4 I had on my list, and he didn’t bring me a lovely new shell to replace the rubbish one. He didn’t send me a builder to stop the water coming in the front door, and he didn’t wave the magic wand to make the dementia disappear. But Ho ho ho for friends who have stuck by me and shown me they love me no matter how silly I behave.

Yes I’ve got dementia, but dementia hasn’t got me.