15 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Inspiration, Smiles
These awesome ladies will not only make you smile, they will inspire all of us with a reminder that age really is just a number!
You can find more on the documentary at http://www.grannysgotgame.com/.
05 Friday Jul 2013
Hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July! If yours was dry, that was a bonus! The Midwest is on day #14 of rain… but on the “bright” side, my plants are thriving!
There’s been lots going on, but the thing I’m most excited about is the strong possibility of hosting a screening of Angel’s Perch right here in Columbus! The feature length film about a West Virginia family’s struggle with Alzheimer’s premiered last month in Charleston, and it’s been receiving rave reviews.
Set in scenic Cass, WV, this indie film which began as a Kickstarter project is the brainchild of J.T. Arbogast. The story is loosely based on his own family’s experience, and for Arbogast and his wife, Kim Dilts, it was a labor of love from start to finish.
For the Alzheimer’s community, it’s a wonderful way to promote awareness. In a recent Charleston Gazette article, Arbogast was quoted as saying, “…I think it opens up that dialogue in a safe place. For the Alzheimer’s community, I think it’s a different way for them to engage their constituents.”
At present, I’m working with the great folks at Tugg.com on getting a screening arranged for sometime in August. Things are looking good, and I hope to receive final approval very shortly. Assuming it comes to fruition, our event will serve as a fundraiser for this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, but I’ll share more on that later. Stay tuned!
This week on Alzheimers.net, I focused on the topic of clinical trials. Here’s a question for you: If you had genetic testing as part of a research study in which disclosure of results was optional, would you want to know the results? I was surprised to find my answer much different than it would have been a year ago.
Doing the research for this piece also reminded me that trials and research studies come in many flavors. Although we tend to immediately think of experimental drugs when the subject is mentioned, there are studies on diet, exercise, and other alternative treatments as well. The article includes links to some great resources you can visit to learn more. It’s definitely a thought-provoking topic.
Friday on Caregivers, we take a look at Lotsa Helping Hands – a powerful (free) web service and iPhone app created by Barry Katz. This tool provides caregivers with an easy way to ask for help when they need it and allows volunteer helpers to match their available time and talent with requests for assistance. Essentially, the site lets users build their own “caregiving communities” where they can share updates, store vital information, post requests, events, photos, blogs, and much more.
Perhaps most interesting is the story of Mr. Katz and how this service came to be. It’s a truly inspiring testament of how one can take heartbreaking tragedy and “make it count” for something.
That’s all for the moment. I’ve got lots of irons in the fire and good stuff to come, so stop back soon. For now, enjoy a safe and happy holiday weekend…
03 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in God Winks, Inspiration, Life After Caregiving, Mom, Ruminations, Support system
It’s been raining in Ohio. Non-stop. Sheets and sheets of rain. Morning, noon, and night. In fact, I’ve heard rumors of arks being built all over town. But today, the sun came out, the sky was blue, and it was absolutely beautiful.
As I was driving home, I couldn’t help but notice the spectacular clouds in the sky and my mind was consumed with how lovely the view must be from Heaven. On a day like today, there’s no doubt the angels were smiling.
It was one of those days where I felt Mom’s presence nearby – actually, I’ve felt it for a few days now, but today she was very intentional about sending a message.
A long while back, I began pondering the idea of setting up an Alzheimer’s support group at work. I’ve lost track of the number of people who have approached me, whether knowing our story directly or through a friend or friend of a friend; people who are on their own ALZ journey, looking for advice about this or that, or just needing someone to talk to.
The thought pops into my head, and then I get busy or distracted and forget about it until it pops into my head again. Yesterday something happened to make me begin thinking about it, but this time I decided to actually do something. I sent an email to one of the nurses in Associate Health Services to inquire as to whether this was feasible. Had thought ever been given to creating a group along these lines? How would one go about doing so? I’d be glad to facilitate… yada, yada, yada.
Fast forward to this morning. That same nurse (Sue) left me a voice mail message that literally had me in tears. Leading up to her call I wasn’t feeling emotional at all, but she was just one of those people with one of those voices. Her compassion was evident and the tears came easily.
This afternoon when we finally connected, she gave me some thoughts on getting a group set up. Of course, as with anything in a large corporate environment, nothing is simple, but that’s another post for another day. As we were nearing the end of our conversation, someone came in and laid a piece of inter-office mail on my desk.
As soon as I hung up the phone, I opened the envelope to find a card with a picture of my mom tucked inside. A former co-worker of hers had found it and thought I would like to have it, which in and of itself made me smile. The picture, circa 1988, was adorable – she was participating in some sort of silly office dress up day in typical Marilyn style.
But what really struck me was the timing. I never get mail, and for that to land on my desk just as I was finishing a conversation about creating an ALZ support group at the company my *Mom retired from – prompted by a call I received yesterday from another former co-worker of hers who had a friend looking for someone to talk to about her mother’s worsening ALZ. (By the way, I know that’s a ridiculous run on sentence, but sometimes there’s just no way around it. *sMiLe*)
Call it a God wink, call it a coincidence, or call me crazy, but I took this as Mom whispering in my ear telling me that I should push forward with the support group.
If only I could get her advice on the other 50 things taking up space in my brain!! ♥
* In August, I’ll mark my 26th year with the same company my mom retired from in 1998.
The Long and Winding Road... 