Double yikes actually. I just spent at least half an hour working on this post & then went to backspace or something & everything disappeared. Tried everything I know of to get it back but of course couldn't.
I uttered the initial yikes because as you can see my blog design is different. I decided to play around with the design tabs this morning & have now learned not to play around with something I know nothing about. I'm not happy with this design but it appears I'm stuck with it until I can either get some help or figure out on my own what I've done. Sigh!
The only thing I intended to do with my blog this morning was to add a link for the Alzheimer's Association to my sidebar. I was at least successful in that regard. All I ever knew about Alzheimer's is that it robs older people of their memories. It turns out it's a lot more serious than that.
The reason I have been researching this disease is back about 20 years ago we lost contact with a family member. The whole story is very long so I will not elaborate on it. My husband & I have tried to find this person via the internet over the years but have always hit a dead end. For some reason the weekend before last we decided to search again & just stumbled upon the right website at the right time & there she was listed with several other family members. Her phone number had been disconnected but we were able to make contact with one of the other family members.
We had always envisioned the day we would find her & have a happy reunion! Unfortunately she is living in a nursing home. She has severe Alzheimer's disease. She has no memories whatsoever. She knows no one. She can't even take care of her own personal needs.
My heart is breaking. This woman would've given you the shirt off her back if you asked for it. She was kind, loving, & fun to be around. I never heard her speak a bad word about anyone. She treasured her family. She treasured me & my husband as well. She was always good to me. She always treated me with love & respect.
Although we are happy to have made contact with the other family members, not being able to reconnect with this woman is tragic on so many levels.
Take a moment to click on the link on my sidebar to learn more about this disease. Although the outcome is not certain, there are things you can do to try to prevent Alzheimer's. There are definitely things you can do to slow the progression if you have been diagnosed with it. Please take care of yourself & your loved ones.
2 comments:
Shirley ... Alzheimer's is such a horrible disease and even more horrible for those family members and friends than the patient I think. I lost my mom almost two years to this disease. It was so sad to lose her a little bit all the time and see the look in her eyes as she remembered less and less. Even not knowing how to brush her teeth, care for her own needs, and or swallow food. You always hear the cliche about memories that last forever ... I only wish it were true.
Hopefully everyone becomes more educated and more and more research is done and someday those memories will last.
Thanks for sharing. So sorry to hear about your friend. It is such a sad disease.
Hugs
Trace
www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com
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