January 20

is certainly an historic day isn't it. We just watched the inauguration on television and it was quite a site. I don't care what party affiliation you are, I think it was moving. My son and daughter-in-law were lucky enough to get into the Newseum a few blocks from the capitol to watch in the warmth. Several of the news groups have been broadcasting from there including CNN. I also have some friends that had tickets and I'm anxious to see there photos.

I wanted to follow up on some other fronts. I have written about my friend Josh who was injured in Afghanastan. He is now stateside and has had several more surgeries for his wounds. He is scheduled for another surgery on Thursday. Keep him in your prayers and thoughts please. If you would like an address for Josh please leave a comment for me with your email address and I will send you more info. I promise not to publish your email address.

Yeseterday I spoke to a gentleman in the Atlanta area that is going through the diagnosis of Alzheimer's. He is close to a final diagnosis and has been going through all the "alphabet soup" tests we go through for this disease. He is waiting his appointment for a neuro-pysch test which is usually one of the last things to have done. I wish him well -- he is trying to fight this the best he can. He also has a blog. It's address is www.wheretobud.blogspot.com if you want to check it out. I hope to be communicating with him more and staying in touch with his situation.

Monday March 9 is Alzheimer's Awareness Day at the Georgia State Capitol. If you are reading this and live in Georgia we need to you to come to Atlanta to be a special part of this day. For more information go to http://www.alz.org/georgia/in_my_community_education.asp We want at least 500 people there advocating on our behalf, so please come out. Kathy Simpson at the state office is organizing this day and she is doing a great job. Please come out if you can.

March 23-25 Public Policy Forum -- Washington DC -- Please consider taking a look at attending this year's public policy forum in Washington DC. I have been several years and it is very enlightening. It is important that those with the disease be heard and families also have a voice. There will be many people speaking at the conference that have Alzheiemer's and it is also a way to learn about what is happening with research, funding and public policy. For more information go to http://www.alz.org/publicpolicyforum/09/overview.asp If you want to register please talk to one of the meeting planners as those with the disease may be able to get a special dispensation. On March 23rd there will be an Early Stage Summit which is especially for people with dementia. Several of the sessions during the meeting will also include a speaker living with Alzheimer's so that perspective will be integrated in the discussions.

Still Alice I've spoken about this book for awhile now. It is now #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list. It can be found in your local bookstores as well as Wal-Mart. Don't miss this book. Author Lisa Genova's account of Alzheimer's in a young professor hits the nail on the head. It's a must read. Side note: -- Lisa will be one of the speakers at the Public Policy Forum in March.

I apologize for not blogging more recently. I've had a lot to do and when I get busy at home it is hard for me to put my thoughts together enough to sit down and write. I have a few trips planned over the next few days so it will be next week before there are any more entries. Thanks for your comments -- I enjoy hearing from everyone.

Update

Since posting the entry below I have had several inquiries as to how to contact Josh. I have learned this morning that it is possible that he will be leaving Germany possibly as early as Tuesday to head state side. It is not known yet where he will be sent for further medical treatment. When I have that information I will pass it along. Thanks for all your concern, thoughts and prayers.

Slow Start to the New Year

This week has been slow. That's good because I had a lot to catch up on and to get back to my routine. I feel like I am a little more settled than I was over the holidays.

I received news this week that my friend Josh -- who has been mentioned here in my blog several times and who is serving in Afghanastan was injured this week in the line of duty. His unit was targeted by a suicide bomber. Several in his unit were injured and they also lost two soldiers. Josh has had three surgeries so far and will be facing more in the coming months. We are thankful he is alive. Right now he is in Germany but is hoping to be transported back to the United States soon. He took shrapnel in the pelvis and his right leg. In addition his right arm is shattered, his right ear drum is shattered and he has first degree burns on his face and parts of his body. Please keep Josh in your thoughts and prayers as well as all of those that serve us in the military. Josh was home at Thanksgiving and I posted a photo of him on this site. Josh worked for me several years ago and is about the same age as my son. I kind of like to think of him as a surrogate son but I'm not sure he would look at it that way! Please keep him in your prayers.

New Beginnings

Every year brings new beginnings.
The gym was packed yesterday with everyone beginning on their fitness routines
Weight Watchers was packed on Saturday with everyone beginning a new diet
Our University Town suddenly got busy again with students beginning a new semester
My daughter-in-law began a new job
In a few weeks there will be a new beginning for a new president

I'm sure you can count my new beginnings surrounding you as well. I think I look at each day as a new beginning -- it is certainly better than looking at it as a doomed ending.

On another note -- I've written about this book before Still Alice. Today, author Lisa Genova had this book released by a new publisher and if you haven't read it you should. When I read it, it was my life -- I couldn't believe how accurate a portrayal this was for a fiction book about someone with Early On-Set Alzheimer's. Go to your local books store and get it if you can. If it isn't on your shelf this week it will be soon. If you want to learn more about this disease read this book --it's an easy read.
It is a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick for Winter 2009
It is an Indie Next Pick for January
Target Book Club Pick for February
Borders Book Club Pick for February
Good Read Pick for March in Australian Women's Weekly
Here's an article about it and Alzheimer's in today's Buffalo News:
http://www.buffalonews.com/494/story/541205.html

Happy New Year

The holidays have been nice, but now it is time to get back to reality. It was great having Alan and Jennifer home, but with all the extra "stuff" that accompanies Alan (no offense Son) it was starting to get on my nerves. I had to take all the Christmas stuff down shortly after Christmas Day because I was starting to have panic attacks. Have to get back to that routine you know!!!

One thing I enjoy most about the holidays is hearing from friends you don't hear from often. I love getting Christmas cards and I like to send them as well. What worries me is when I don't hear from some one that has been sending cards and letters for years and then I don't hear from them. I'm going to make an effort to contact them and hope that they are well. When I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's I realized how much my family and friends meant to me. I've said it here before that it is a shame that something has to strike you before you realize what is important in life -- but you hear many people say that. So, it has been important to me to remain friends and reconnect with friends I have let slip by the wayside. This past fall, a friend of mine popped back in my life that I was so grateful for. We had been friends for years professionally and when we both switched jobs we kind of lost track of each other. Then I ran into her in a local deli and I was so excited to see her and catch up on her life. Unfortunately, I learned that her husband too was suffering from dementia. She was glad to run into me as well and we shared notes and reconnected our friendship. That has meant so much to me.

If you are looking for a new year's resolution -- don't look far. Look to re-establish or to at least strengthen your friendships. You'll be glad you did.

Christmas

Well -- it is finally cold here in Athens. The high today is suppose to be in the upper 30's. But by Christmas Day they are looking at temps in the mid 60's. At least it will feel like Christmas for a couple of days! I know I haven't been good at blogging over the last week or so. Have been busy and trying to prepare for this week. We have been getting together with friends over the last several weeks and will again until after Christmas. Fourteen people are coming to our house for dinner on Christmas. Everyone is bringing something so it won't be too much work for me. I'm sure that by this time next week I'll be ready to have the tree down and have things back to "normal". I function so much better when things are near "normal".

Wishing all of you a happy, merry holiday!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Well I have so much to do and don't want to do any of it. I just can't get motivated. We have two Christmas parties this weekend -- and I have been complaining that we haven't done anything "Christmassy" but I'm not excited about going to the parties. That's contradictory isn't it? I suppose when the time rolls around I'll feel like it. It doesn't feel much like Christmas to me yet. I've done the shopping, wrapping and sent all my presents off to friends and family across the globe, but I still can't get into it. I think it is just all overwhelming to me at times and I don't think I can handle it all. Perhaps if the weather turns cold and feels like "Christmas" that will help.

The Holidays

Alan, Josh, Chris, me, Melissa (Josh' wife) and Katie (Chris' wife)

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I did -- but now I need to rest up. We spent a quiet day with friends for dinner. Our son came in early morning on Thursday and we went to Atlanta to pick him up. It was nice having a few days for just the three of us.





On Saturday, we huddled around the television set to watch UGA play Georgia Tech. For the first time in seven years, Georgia Tech beat Georgia. Since GT is Alan's Alma mater -- he was extremely happy. It was finally his year to gloat -- he certainly had to wait a long time.





On Saturday night Alan and I went to a "come see Josh" party. The photo above was taken there. If you have been following my blog, there are two young gentlemen that used to work for me that I continue to follow through their life's journeys. They are both a year older than Alan and when Alan went away to college, these two young men, Chris and Josh worked in the box office of the theatre that I was managing. They had many friends in common and they kind of became my "surrogate sons" for lack of a better word. I'm not sure they would agree that that is the proper word, but it works for me! Since that time Alan, Josh and Chris have all gotten married in the last year or so. Chris now lives in Ft. Lauderdale with his new wife Katie and he is going to medical school. Josh was home for some R&R as he has been deployed in Afghanistan. His wife Melissa just bought a new house and we went to see him and to see the new house on Saturday night. It is not often we can get together with everyone spread all over the world. Josh returns to Afghanistan in a week or so and will be finished with his deployment in July. These young men have been extremely kind to me over the years and are great about keeping in touch. I only wish the best for them. Since Chris and Josh are both huge Georgia fans, the defeat to Georgia Tech was a little more than they could handle.





Now Alan has returned to Washington DC and I need some rest.

I know, I know -- I have not been blogging in awhile. There's no excuse. I've been lazy.

I spoke last week at an assisted living center in a small town about 30 miles away. It was a very nice setting and those I spoke to seemed to be genuinely interested in what I had to say. They had some good questions and that is always a good thing for me.

My niece back in Illinois had a little baby boy last night. It's her third child and I'm glad she had it now so she can enjoy the holidays. She was three weeks early, but the baby and mom and doing fine. She won't have to go back to work until after Christmas.

I hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy your families and the time you have with them!

Memory Walk Update

Well our Memory Walk is over for this year. My team raised over $15,000! The goal for the entire walk was $75,000 and we are short of that but we are expecting some more donations and we'll be close. Thanks Lauren M for your donation through this page!

I woke up on walk morning and it was pouring down rain. That was at 5 a.m. I rushed to the computer to look at the radar and it showed that it was moving out. By about 8:15 the skies were blue and it was windy but no rain. It turned out to be a great day weatherwise. Later in the day the winds kicked up and a cold front moved through but not before the walk was over.

Thanks again to everyone who supported my team!