"HELLO, MY NAME IS ANDREW"

ANDREW WAS 88 AND LIVING ON BORROWED TIME.I WAS AN OUT OF WORK CHEF WILLING TO TRY ANYTHING ONCE, BUT A CAREGIVER? SOMEHOW BEING A MAID, NURSE AND GERIATRIC BABYSITTER WASN'T MY IDEA OF RESPECTABLE. FOR THE NEXT YEAR I WOULD LEARN ABOUT CARING FOR SOMEONE WHO COULDN'T, AN ALZHEIMERS/ PARKINSON VICTIM. I WOULD LEARN TO RESPECT ANDREW WHO WAS LOOSING EVERYTHING THAT MADE HIM NORMAL IN SOCIETY, HIS DIGNITY AS I WIPED HIS BUTT, HIS PRIDE AS I DRIED HIS BACK FROM SHOWERING, AND HIS SELF RESPECT AS I ASSISTED IN HIS EFFORTS TO FEED HIMSELF IN A RESTAURANT AS THE FOOD SPILLED OFF HIS FORK ONTO THE FLOOR. THIS IS MY JOURNAL WRITTEN BLUNTLY, SOMETIMES WITH HUMOUR, OFTEN IN COMPLETE HONESTY OF 24/7 CARE OF ANDREW, AN ALZHEIMERS VICTIM.