Oupa Jack was ‘n korrelkop, ‘n uitstekende entrepreneur en ‘n sakeman met ‘n hart van goud. Die s\u00eading van “jou regterhand mag nie weet wat jou linkerhand doen nie” \u2013 daai ding het Oupa goed gedoen en ‘n verskil in ander se lewe gemaak. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maklik was sy lewe nie. Hy moes al van sy tienerjare uitspring en vir sy gesin sorg … Die hele lot: ma, pa en nege kinders. G’n wonder hy was op die ou einde so briljant met saketransaksies nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maar, ‘n mens kies mos nie hoe jy gaan oud word nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dit is ‘n voorreg om ouer te k\u00e1n word, want nie almal kry die geleentheid nie. Oupa het Alzheimer se siekte gekry. Dit is ‘n wrede siekte vir die lyer \u00e9n sy hartsmense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die slim mense s\u00ea “demensie” is ‘n term wat gebruik word vir verskeie siektes wat intellektuele funkies soos geheue, denke, gedrag en emosies aantas. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vir di\u00e9 wat in prentjies dink, soos ek, is demensie soos potholes in jou brein. Eers is dit klein en die motor wat die boodskap moet oordra, kan nog oor dit ry. Later raak dit so groot dat die motor \u00f3m dit moet ry. Nog later raak die pad onbegaanbaar, soos sommige paaie in Suid-Afrika. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demensie is skade aan senuweeselle in die brein en dit raak verskillende dele van die brein.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verskillende soorte demensie bestaan, waarvan die bekendstes is:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Alzheimer se siekte: Die breinselle se chemie en struktuur verander.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Vaskul\u00eare demensie: Die brein se netwerk wat suurstof na die brein toe bring, kan nie meer suurstof na die brein vervoer nie en breinselle sterf af.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Lewy Body-demensie: Dit is die degenerasie van die breinweefsel as gevolg van sfeervormige strukture wat in die senuselle ontwikkel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Fronto- temporale demensie: Skade aan die voorste deel van die brein. Dit tas die persoonlikheid en gedrag aan. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oupa se toestand het vinnig versleg. My ma het elke naweek van Kroonstad na Randburg gery om Ouma te gaan help. Skoolvakansies was dit my en my sussie se beurt. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek sal nooit die laaste oujaarsaand saam met Oupa vergeet nie. Dit is een van daai oomblikke in ‘n mens se lewe waar ‘n stukkie hemel aarde toe gekom het. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek en Ouma het ‘n kaas-en-vrugtebord gemaak met soutbeskuitjies en, natuurlik, vonkelwyn. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ons was net besig om die ou jaar te groet en die nuwe jaar te verwelkom toe Oupa gang-af gestap kom. Hy het sy plek aan die hoof van die tafel ingeneem soos altyd en begin gesels asof niks fout is nie. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ons gesels toe oor hoe hy as kind slote in die grond gemaak het en met slange trein-trein gespeel het. Hoe hy Ouma leer bestuur het en sy so vinnig in trutat gery het dat sy bo-op die sandhoop te lande gekom het, met al vier wiele in die lug. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oupa vertel hoe hy die Here gevra het vir ekstra tyd om dit wat verkeerd was, reg te maak, want hy is baie lief vir ons almal en is jammer oor sy foute. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die volgende oggend was Oupa se helder oomblik soos ‘n droom waarvan net ek en Ouma geweet het. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die laaste jaar van Oupa se lewe was moeilik. Sy alledaagse aktiwiteite soos loop en sy geheue het al moeiliker geword. Hy het op ‘n keer Ouma met die geweer rondgejaag, want hy soek “skelms”.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoe meer Ouma probeer verduidelik het dat dit die TV se stemme is wat hy hoor, hoe erger het sy frustrasie geraak.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oupa kon gelukkig veilig “ontwapen” word. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy het egter met tye sy ma gesoek en moeilik geraak as sy nie kom as hy roep nie. Ouma het stories opgemaak dat sy ma winkel toe is, want as sy vir Oupa s\u00ea sy ma is hemel toe, het hy weer al die emosies beleef soos die dag wat hy van sy ma se afsterwe gehoor het. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ouma moet ‘n medalje kry vir hoe sy Oupa hanteer het. Sy het altyd kalm gebly en eenvoudige sinne en woorde gebruik, veral as Oupa aggressief begin raak het. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy het Oupa altyd ontmoet waar hy op daai oomblik in sy gedagtes was, en sy het nie oor die realiteite geredeneer nie. Daar is soms fantasiew\u00earelde geskep. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Oupa angstig begin raak het, het sy gedoen wat nodig was om hom veilig te laat voel.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ouma het nooit Oupa soos ‘n weerlose, vergeetagtige baba behandel nie. Sy het hom onthou vir die man wat hy was en hom ook so behandel \u2013 met menswaardigheid en onvoorwaardelike liefde. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oupa is op 99 jaar hemel toe. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ek aan hom dink, onthou ek die korrelkop- briljante entrepreneur en sakeman met ‘n omgeehart; nie die brose ou man wat deur ander versorg moes word nie. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek glo dat tannie Sarie, wat ‘n Springbok-netbalspeler was, of Oom Koos, wat eens as Boer van die Jaar geprys is, op dieselfde manier onthou sou wou word \u2013 soos hulle was en nie die pasi\u00ebnt in die Alzheimer-afdeling nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mense s\u00ea: “The mind may not remember, but the heart will never forget.” \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is dit nie vir ons almal waar nie? \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Onthou mense soos hulle was en nie die mens met demensie nie.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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