My journey with Alzheimer’s : Weblog #101

Completely satisfied Monday! The weeks are flying by and it is exhausting to imagine we have been on ‘restriction’ aka lockdown with restricted actions for the previous 36 weeks! At the least I feel I counted them accurately. Math shouldn’t be my sturdy go well with as of late😏 We’ve been busy and lively and that helps the time go by. I hope you are in a position to join and get outdoors too! 

Along with the acute warmth and the smoke I missed a number of days of out of doors actions. The fires introduced unhealthy air and my eyes had been burning even after I was inside the home. Not with the ability to go outdoors was an actual concern for me – particularly within the mornings as a result of that is my quiet time. My time to meditate outdoors, do my bible plans and take heed to my ‘Pray as you Go’ app. I could not take it outdoors! It was too smoky and it wasn’t definitely worth the threat.

I had a enjoyable name with my Aunt Nancy Geary too! It was her birthday and I referred to as her at her care facility in Fresno and I used to be shocked that she knew who I used to be and we really had a really coherent dialog. That was a giant occasion for me! At one level she requested how my dad was doing….my dad who handed away a really very long time in the past… however I feel that is to be anticipated of somebody dwelling with reminiscence points and confusion on the superb age of 94!

We had some household enjoyable with Kristen & Ryan and a few prolonged household. I really performed kickball and had a blast! We had been in a position to eat outdoors collectively afterwards and it virtually felt like a traditional day. 

Received some dangerous information on the eye physician in early September. I assumed one thing was occurring with my distance imaginative and prescient however I had simply gotten my glasses prescription modified so I could not work out why issues had been somewhat blurry. My final examination was in February of this yr and he modified my prescription then. After I went to see him in early September each eyes had modified and gotten worse! I do not know if my Alzheimer’s has something to do with that, however it’s irritating and somewhat scary. And fairly costly too! He modified prescriptions in each eyes and I’m nonetheless ready for my new lenses/glasses. I am surviving and might nonetheless drive however I actually hope this isn’t a pattern and that six months from now they are going to be worse. I am saying some prayers about this and know that it doesn’t matter what occurs I might be okay….

I spent many hours in entrance of the TV over labor day weekend and was in awe of all of the sturdy feminine (and male) expertise on the US Open. I like watching tennis and even throughout COVID they had been in a position to pull off a wonderful occasion in New York. I am additionally so grateful for Naomi Osaka’s assertion there and her assist for ‘Black Lives Matter’. Each day she wore a special masks with the names of these which have been killed, really murdered, up to now few months. It’s extremely sobering and I respect her activism. YOU GO GIRL!

We needed to spend Bob’s Birthday (Sept thirteenth) inside however made essentially the most of it. We ordered take out and he obtained to look at something and all the things that he wished to on TV 😉 A number of weeks later we had been in a position to have a good time in fashion in Sausalito. It was an ideal night and the meals was scrumptious. So glad we might share a meal with our daughter, son in regulation and to take pleasure in some high quality time with Celly afterwards!

Bob’s B’day dinner

We did have an unlucky occasion at my infusion this month. September ninth was one of many smokiest days for us, particularly in San Francisco. We had a full day of cognitive testing and a drug infusion so we obtained up early to reach earlier than 8am. Once we had been driving over the Bay Bridge I took this photograph. The smoke was so dense that you just could not see the solar and everywhere in the bay space the sky was orange…It was so eerie! Sadly it took a number of days for the smoke to clear and all the bay space was pressured to lockdown once more.

Bay Bridge 9/9/20

The infusion went nicely, the cognitive testing was troublesome for me as at all times however I made essentially the most of it. This was infusion #17 for the Eli Lilly Tau scientific trial. I certain hope we are able to discover a treatment quickly, or at the very least one other medicine that may decelerate the results of this horrible illness. The thrilling a part of the day was when the Hearth Alarm went off! I used to be transferred to a wheel chair – together with different sufferers – and all of us scurried outdoors. It was darkish, very darkish and really earie and chilly! Fortunately nobody was injured and the hearth alarm was attributable to some smoke within the analysis lab. I took an image with my nurse and my care coordinator! This was a day to recollect. 

Evacuation UCSF 9/9/20

I feel I discussed final month that my brief time period reminiscence is failing badly now. Duties are tougher to finish and my government operate shouldn’t be so nice both….I assume that is all to be anticipated however I actually imagine that being at residence remoted and away from folks and connection has actually introduced me down. Others in my identical situation are feeling it too….

However I am a fighter and an optimist and a Christian who believes that all the things occurs for a purpose. I’m blessed to have so very many family and friends supporting me and I really feel the love from everywhere in the world. All of you retain me going and all the big quantities of donations for our Alzheimer’s Stroll later in October have been extraordinary. THANK YOU for all of your assist. Each penny counts and helps us to fund analysis so we are able to some day discover a treatment! 

I am beginning my twenty first e-book because the lockdown — listening by way of Audible and strolling outdoors or knitting has turn out to be an obsession! Kristin Hannah has written some superb books and I’ll begin one other one at the moment. I hope you might have some indoor and out of doors actions to maintain you content and wholesome too! Name or textual content if you need some strategies😊

Thanks for all of the love and assist you give to me and my household! Rusty continues to maintain me secure and follows me wherever I’m going. Bob is a rock star chef and retains me nicely fed and secure throughout these robust instances. Kristen calls and FaceTime’s with me virtually day-after-day. Her bestie Candi and Kristen and I’ve a nightly ritual too. Sharing foolish pictures and TicTok movies. Sure – it is silly however it makes me smile and giggle and I feel all of us want extra of that at the moment and day-after-day💓 We mourned the lack of RBG collectively as I am certain a lot of you probably did…..Powerful instances for certain.

Rusty the caregiver kitty

I hope you all have somebody to lean on, to speak to, cry with or all the above. I am right here if you wish to discuss, textual content or no matter. 

Sending love, hugs and prayers to all of you throughout this unprecedented time in our life. Keep residence – keep secure – put on a masks🙏