I can attest to that - you are truly blessed. For as a caretaker it is is a horrible, horrible, truly horrible - long drawn-out experience.
After many, many nights staying up comforting my wife of 62 years, she hollered at me "For God's sake - Help me!" and I couldn't because with dementia comes the loss of apatite and she literally starved herself to death.
She passed away two years ago - leaving me with the most depressing feeling that I failed the one that I treasure the most. Oh God - How that hurts.
Yes - you-re blessed.
She knows what you did for her now and treasures you for it. Your first hug in Heaven will be amazing!
You did not fail the one that you treasured the most, OMG you must stop thinking that way, your lovely wife would NEVER in a million years want you to go through the rest of your life carrying that kind of guilt around over an illness that is the most difficult for both involved to deal with!!! God Bless and watch over you!!
don't cry because it ended, be happy that IT WAS( your long marriage).
God bless......
Your post made me cry.
Hugs to you.
Prayers up
my mom died in a similar way with dementia. The words she said must have killed my step father he died only two months after she did.