Thanks, Meme. Of course, we love our moms and dads and don't want to see them sick, but I have to point out, in the name of modesty, that caring for a person in your home is so much harder in the later stages of a debilitating illness. The longer you can keep them more like themselves, the easier it is on you - both emotionally and physically. These early battles and victories with memory are certainly important but when you consider the nightmare of losing your muscle memory or simply brain function that results in not being able to swallow and losing control of bowel and bladder function puts that all to shame in the difficulty department. She may never get so that she remembers how many children her first grandson now has or be able to recognize my youngest brother's picture on the computer but if I can keep her 'healthy', I've made both our lives immensely easier.