Brownwood: A Long Goodbye

A sad ending

When the one you love and plan to grow old with is only there in body but not in mind. Thanks for the read. 4*

Having sex with a mentally impared person is called rape

An NO, the institutions would never allow this.

Regardless of whether it's realistic or not

It's always hard to watch love wither and die. No real winners in this stor, just people trying their best to survive and find happiness wherever they can.

It is only a story

I am often amused when any of these stories evoke such harsh response as some readers deliver. These are not factual accounts..only fictitious renderings. This was sad, having experienced dementia both in my mother at the end of her life, and my daughter as well before losing her fight with cancer. Was also reminded of "The Notebook". Writer must have had a sad experience to have been able to write this.

Damn

So sad. In the end all the confused ex-wife had was a distant memory of someone who must have been important but she could not recall who he was. As for our lost husband he was never a cuckold, as a person has to be of sound mind to put someone in that position. And we know she was forever lost. I'm happy this is fiction because real life is too sorrowful to have to live through.

ohhh

m sad. would love to see the next part or another version of this tale. please do write the next part . rated five star

Akkkk, the feels!!!

A Special Story . . .

. . . of extreme sensitivity to a loving relationship. This one is exquisite in its sensitivity. I have known, as a nephew and son, some of the agony of dealing with loved ones with Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, whatever you choose as label. I have not had to inflict that pain on anyone myself yet, my brain still functions as body is breaking down in certain places.

One hell of a good job of storytelling DFWBeast.

What the very hell?

This woman is sick. She deserves no slings and arrows. Nor does she deserve the heartbreak that she got hit with in the end.

Almost all of the second page is about convincing this guy to ditch his SICK WIFE. Honestly, it would have been a more interesting story if HE had committed adultery...because in an instance like that, I think we could show a cheater compassion.

But no, instead we have to shit on a mentally disturbed woman as if she were in her right mind.

I did not like this story, not because it was badly written, nor because it was badly conceived, nor because it was unrealistic. I have experienced Alzheimer's in my own life and that she was treated...honestly, shabbily.

I know you tried to make it seem like he was only protecting his heart, but the inference was pretty damned pointed.

So well written. Left a horrible taste in my mouth.

Please keep writing

Not a fan of this one, although, I must admit it is brilliantly written. I prefer the intensity of a more traditional loving wives story, This one is so sad!

This is a great story, but the comments were better and more enlightening.
Nearly everyone has had, or is having, an experience with Alzheimer's. Experiencing it through your parents is very hard, particularly when the patient becomes abusive. The concern for the well parent's safety, embarrassment, humiliation, heart-break and anger is overwhelming. Of course you, your siblings and others are experiencing the same emotions.
It is even harder when, as you grow older, you see the same issues in yourself. Will I be a burden? Will I embarrass my wife, children and grandchildren? What is in the future?

just sick.

What a hideous exploitation of a illness that is heartbreaking for millions of american families for a cheap pop. You're just a disgusting person. Maybe kharma will catch up with you. Disgusting comments too.

Great well written story.

The author has accurately captured the heartbreak that relatives of those suffering from advanced dimentia must endure. There comes a point, sometimes very early on, when the person the relatives knew no longer exists. As the doctor for a relative told me, "Do not grieve for her. She is happy in her world. You have to be able to move on and find your own happiness. You do not exist in her world." This story brought me to tears.

Wow.

This read as a perfectly ordinary and even pedestrian tale right up to the last two paragraphs. Those last two paragraphs earned you five stars. Well done, sir.

Absolutly Brilliant

What an amazing and realistic story.
Bravo!
Thank you and Please keep writing!

Couldn't get past first page

I probably missed the point of the story but the mental disease aspect of the story hit to close to home. Not sure why you would put it in the light of cheating and maybe it was clarified later but to hard to finish. The title of a long goodbye only makes it worse but insensitivity to others is the norm these days.

absolutly sad

Difficult situation, what do you do... For better or worse, in sickness and in health...

The missery this man must have suffer.

This story was interesting in how Eva manifest her regressive condition. Her husband...

....of course reaped the heartbreak of one of the manifestations. It seems a little unusual, but not outside the reach of possibility. In any event, the story was well told and captured the situation many families find themselves struggling through for those final years.
Thank you. It was a tough topic, told with a certain kindness and compassion rare here.

3*s

Obviously sad . You really went overboard with this heart wrenching story DFW Beast !!
My first point is the ending . Yeah it really ups the impact but it is false , If you are trying to stick to realism . So it doesn't work.
As others have stated you never get better with Alzheimer's disease. My father had it . His last years in an institution were happy for him. Once he forgot his wife , children , grandchildren... he lived happily in his mind and 50 or 60 years in the past.
Here in this state as long as a patient responds lovingly to the spouse's attention , observed by the nurse and they are still married, a conjugal visit is allowed and even encouraged .
Enough with the lecture . Gave you 3*s . I just felt manipulated . Still keep writing I generally enjoy your stories . Warts and all, lol.


AMerryman

*****

For anyone who has had a loved one go through this it captures a bit of the heartache.

Made me cry

So I gave it 5*

Loved it

Truly thought provoking and touching.

Apologies

This story was power and painful. Strikes too close to home for me to be able to enjoy it or judge it properly. Please excuse my earlier comments.

Question About Annulment

Someone expressed surprise at the idea of getting an annulment after a divorce. These two were Latino which probably means they were Roman Catholic. Perhaps a Roman Catholic in the crowd can verify, but I suspect it has to do with Catholics not being able to marry again in the eyes of the church as the church does not recognize divorce. I think an annulment solves that problem as "they were never married".

Great Story

I give it a 5

Great insight.

The same situation happened to my late mother in law. Her husband was admitted to an enclosed mental care facility. In the ward he was admitted to was also a woman who sought out, as confused as she was, male company. While most male occupants rejected her advances, my gentle minded but very confused father in law allowed her to more or less claim him. Despite the family's urgent requests the facility refused to seperate them and place one of them in another ward, as this situation was very painful for his very frequently visiting, disabled wife. They only conceded to our urgings after this woman struck my mother in law hard in the face with a towel. These institutions only seems to take interest in the well-being of their guests, showing utter heartless neglect of the pain and distress (earlier) loved ones have to endure over such a heartbreaking situation.
Although the main players can't help themselves due to their mentaly devestating desease, many institutions completely loose sight of the overall picture, thus completely neglecting their social resposibility to properly address family tragedies, as deseases like Alzheimer and the like cause, as they should for ALL involved and prohibit painful situations like this to develop.
For this very accurate perception of situations like these there is only one reward: 5 *.

A sad tale

I have to give it 5 stars. I put myself in Nathan's place with tears in my eyes as I felt his anguish and sorrow. Fortunately there was someone there to restore him once his grieving was at an end.

Anon 1/2/16

Not sure low score was the issue. Story has a little red H by it. (hmmm doubt fragile ego but I guess it's possible if author expected it to Top 250) Author's bio said he'd posted a story that was too close to home, pretty good bet it's this one.

So sad

My mother has had Alzheimer's for 5+ years, so this story hits me hard. My father is 89 and is now living in the house I bought for them by himself; my mother is 77 and it was tragic that she was so much younger and succumbed this early. Mom is now in care but she still knows she's not home and is not a happy camper most days. The big fear with the families of Alzheimer's patients are those moments of lucidity when the loved one feels a loss of family. The last lines in this story bring back that fear back to me.

Powerful

Wonderfully written and quite heartbreaking.

Easiest 5 stars ever.

Pain.

Far too painful but well written.

Would have given this -5 stars!

WTF! Divorce her? So she gets put in a home that has even lower standards thn this clap-trap joint which lets rapes and rampant patient abuse occur? Nearly every court in the US would reject such a divorce action. She no longer had capacity, if the son tried to sell her down the river, a competent judge would appoint a guardian ad litem to protect her interests. And divorce is not in her interests! Lost Social Security, lost, pension interests, etc, and the state might seek to intervene as the costs of her institutionalization if hubbby books will ultimately fall on the state, which will seek a lien interest in the husband's/wife's little 200 acre casa.

Divorce? I dobn't think so!

And annulment? DWFBeast, I've read several of your excuses for stories, and you have to be one of the most legally uneducated people on the planet!! In the USA, a person can obtain an annulment if, AT THE TIME OF THE MARRIAGE, there was a legal impediment to the marriage!! Such as, one or both parties: were married to someone else, were under the minimum age to lawfully marry, were unable to produce children and concealed that (impotence, barreness, etc.), committed fraud to induce the other party to marry, were insane or not mentally competent at the time of the marriage (note: drunkeness at the time of marriage will not be a basis for an annulment, after 30+ years of living together as married, and producing several children), and these are just the rules for American civil law. Some commenters have speculated that the reason for an seeking annulment would be under the aegis of the Roman Catholic Church. Again, he has no basis unless he lies under oath to the Church and claims he never had a valid sacramental marrige to begin with! Since she has a right in that process to present information and argument in favor of validity, and since the Roman Catholic Church appoints a third party to argue IN FAVOR of the validity of the marriage, I suspect most diocesan tribunals are not going to declare the marriage a nullity when one of the parties can no longer explain whar happened when they married so many years ago!

The protaganist may be hurting but to seek divorce and annulment shows him to be the lowest form of verminous scum!

DWFBeast, please stop writing!

Really loved it

As painful as it was. 5*. Thank you. You touched me.

re: Would have given this -5 stars!

Shut up retard, and retake your place in the zoo!

Outstanding

Having first hand experience of this physical and mental terror this story rings heart breakling true. A well written gut wrencher and definitely 5 star.

Touches the 'fear' in all of us

If you are >50 this is a 'fear' that touches all of us. We all know, as of today, this is a progressive incurable one-way trip that will hurt our love ones. If it hits me I've given instructions to my family, I need to clean my pistols and for all of them to take a 2hr shopping trip.

This story is similar to the movie 'The Notebook', that was just too sad....

*****

To bad you're not allowing scoring on this story -- five star. Wow. Well told, no too fast or too slow, just enough detail to keep it rolling. XLNT

Love this story

Love this story