Oh, I can so relate to this most horrible of all diseases.. We lost my mother in 1990, after a 2 yr. battle to cancer, after their 50 years together my Dad was lost. He remarried, but was never quite the same, second wife passed away in 2000, and Daddy was in the early stages of Alzheimers. I was still teaching full time, and my brother was also still working full time self employed. Daddy had his 2nd knee replacement and could not stay alone, so he started out with DH and me, after his rehab., went for a short visit with my brother-recently divorced, and raising a 14 yrs. old daughter. When I went to get Daddy to bring him back with us, we knew he could not stay alone. DB informed me that Daddy was going to stay with him from now on, he could take care of him better than I could with my work situation, as he could check on him more often through the day. For the last 4 years of his life, Daddy lived with DB ( who will have stars in his crown) who took the best of care of Daddy, better than a full time nurse even-also the son's love was so evident there. DB had promised Daddy he would not be put into a nursing home. I would get over 200 miles away on holiday times, summer and school breaks to help and to give DB a short vacation. Daddy could only refer to DB as "the boy who takes care of me"- he could not call me by name but could connect me with DH and call him by name and connect us with our home town by name. He could remember all 5 grandchildren and knew them by name most of the time. We watched a very loving, strong, healthy, always active 6'3'' 220 lb outdoors man become bed ridden and shrivel up to nothing except his height so quickly with memory loss and lost stares dependent totally on his loving care giver who had become the parent. Daddy passed away in the early morning of 3-28-2004. I was at DB's home the weekend we lost Daddy. We were a very close family, and now we had lost both parents. DB and I are even closer than ever now, still live in the same places, but talk daily on the phone sometimes 2-3 times. Iraxy is so right this is a long winding very rocky road , and the best of loving care one can give during this horrible illness is so helpful and even thought it is most difficult, the family caregiver will not regret being able to give this care. But DB and I both know that "God did not give either of us more than He knew we could handle" and God was with us during these trying years and the loss of our parents, as He is still. Sorry folks about this long story, but sometimes I just have to release it again and get it off my chest.