World Alzheimer's Day, 2009

Also posted at A Republic, if you can keep it.

Please don't forget tomorrow September 21, 2009 is World Alzheimer's Day. I'm thinking that would be the perfect time to contact your elected officials to urge them to support S.1492 and H.R. 3286, the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2009. If passed this legislation will help provide researchers with the funds they need to find new and better treatments and possibly a cure for Alzheimer's Disease.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Thanks go to:
Alzheimer's Disease International

The Weekend Is Going Well

This weekend is off to a great start. I took Friday off to take care of some things that needed to be done. I hated the idea of missing work but it was necessary. The plan for Saturday was to go over to Sues Mothers house to get an oak dinning room table and chairs she wants us to have. That plan got changed when Sue decided that table will be going into our kitchen. Other things need to be moved before that's going to happen. A friend is coming over to help me take a kitchen table and our freezer to the basement tomorrow.

Sue and a couple of friends are planning another friends October birthday celebration. So she spent a good deal of time on the phone with old friends Saturday. That is great. For a while it seemed old friends were leaving her out of things. She felt she was being abandoned because of the Alzheimer's diagnoses. Shes been hearing from them more this past week or so. I'd been trying to figure out how to let them know they were hurting her without causing a problem and they started coming around and calling again without me saying a word. Possibly saved me from being the bad guy.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Obituaries And Memories

I found a familiar last name in yesterdays obituaries but the first name of the deceased didn't ring a bell. I did find a familiar first name in the list of survivors. I told Sue that I could remember one of the survivors names but I couldn't put a face with it or remember where I knew the name from for sure. She told me we went to high school with him. Neither of us ran around with him, he was just a face in the halls or class rooms (We attended Saint Joseph, Missouri's largest high school). She had a smile on her face when she told me her Alzheimer's lets her remember people we knew, places we went and things we did years ago that I may have forgotten and I can remember the people we talked to yesterday that she has forgotten. When you talk with Sue it is clear that she knows what she is facing a good deal of the time. That smile means a lot to me. It tells me the lady I've loved for years is still here and ready to face the next challenge.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic

Truck Insurance

When Sues birthday rolled around last April she decided she didn't want to renew her drivers license. She says shes afraid to drive. I've heard some say it was hard to get a loved one to quit driving so I should be happy. I didn't know she was told to turn in her old expired license. I guess a letter was sent to us, I didn't see it. Sue may have got it and put it up for safe keeping. The insurance company has dropped me over this, this letter I saw. So the truck (pickup) is parked until I can get this straightened out. I guess it could be worse. I could have been in an accident or pulled over before I found out I'm uninsured.

Lesson learned. Watch the mail closer.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Teen Stricken With Alzheimer's

Some of you may have read this Washington Times article. Now it seems Alzheimer's has no age limits. It seems to me that in eighteen years Ashton has already faced more hardships than anyone should have to face in a lifetime. Ashton and her Mother will be in my thoughts and prayers.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Thanks go to:
The Washington Times

A Little Concerned

When the day first started I was a little concerned about how today was going to go. Sue was looking at some magazines and catalogs that came in yesterdays mail. I mentioned it being about time to take her medicine. She snapped, "I can only do one thing at a time". A few minutes latter I mentioned it again and she thanked me for reminding her.

Later I mentioned a video clip I'd seen. The name Jack Webb didn't mean a thing to her. I seem to remember her saying she liked the TV show Dragnet as a child.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.

Having A Real Good Day

Sue slept the whole night through despite the fact that she went to bed before dark. She started off with more energy than normal. She helped with some of the household chores then said she had to make her daily phone calls. She talks with her Mother and one of her Cousins every morning. Today she added a couple of old friends to her morning calls.

She was very happy to hear a friend is letting us use a TV until we decide what we want and can afford. A couple of our friends and I were talking about how I'd get rid of the old one since trash haulers won't take them. Sue suggested I leave it in the back of my pickup parked out back, she figures someone will go by and steal it. That's the old Sue.

I have noticed today that she hasn't seemed to have trouble remembering things, no confusion. She is really happy. I know there will be good days and bad, for now I'd have to rate this one great.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.