For the past couple of years,
several of us women who graduated from the same high school have met for lunch once
a month. I reconnected with several friends that I hadn’t seen in years. We’ve
bonded over life’s circumstances and decided that we like each other much
better now that we’re older. These mini reunions led to us becoming a planning
committee for our 50th class reunion.
When we think about it, life is full
of reunions. A chance meeting in a grocery store, a club meeting, a conference,
or a public event can be a reunion. Each year at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s I
see some people I haven’t seen in quite awhile. Some return year after year, and
others are just beginning the Alzheimer’s journey. These are bittersweet
reunions. We are happy to see each other, sad for the circumstances.
Each year at the Alzheimer’s Forum,
I have a reunion with my good friends Sarah, Jane, and Kathy. A year is a long
time, but it seems that we can almost pick up our conversations from the
previous year mid-sentence. We all lost our husbands to dementia and developed
an amazingly strong bond. We are sisters of the heart.
We reunite with friends and
relatives on social media and make new “friends.” We can keep up with births,
deaths, marriages, as well as, what someone had for dinner. The important
events are often interspersed with mundane observations, political rants, and
too much information. The jury is still out as to whether the benefits outweigh
the drawbacks.
We are caught up in our own little
world and are shocked when we learn of a friend or family member’s death. What
is the first thing we all say when we run into family members at funerals? “We
need to get together somewhere besides a funeral!” Sound familiar? Yet, we go our
separate ways and lead our separate lives. We never get around to making that
call, meeting for lunch, or making that road trip.
Since I’ve joined the Capps Family
Band, I spend more time with my birth family than I have in years. Although I’ve
not accomplished many of my retirement goals, at least I’ve done well in
spending more time with my mom and siblings. We have two practice sessions a
month and play music at three different nursing homes around the middle of each
month.
An additional benefit of playing
music is that I get to spend more time with my aunt. She likes to hear us sing
at the nursing home, so my mom and I pick her up when we play in Versailles. I
think I’ve spent more time with her in the past two years than all the years
before.
Whether it’s at the grocery store, a
family reunion, or a chance meeting, I love running into friends and family.
Even if we only have a brief conversation and a quick hug, it reminds me of the
connections I’ve made throughout my life. Mini reunions make my heart sing.
Copyright © June 2019 by L.S. Fisher
#ENDALZ
4 comments:
Nice, Linda, keep singing!
Dear Ms. Fisher,
Hello! I hope this finds you well. My name is Amit Chakrabarti, and I am an undergraduate student at Brown University. This summer, I am working as a market research intern on a project revolving around the relationship between individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (and dementia) and the spouses, children, and caregivers of these patients.
I read some posts on your blog, and also visited your website, and am interested in understanding more about your interactions with those with Alzheimer’s. My research specifically deals with the social component of Alzheimer’s and studies a strategy to improve the quality of life of all parties impacted by this disease, including the caregiver. If you would be willing to talk on the phone or have a video conference about this, I know my research would greatly benefit from your perspective.
Please let me know if you are interested in discussing your role as an Alzheimer’s caregiver and interactions with those with Alzheimer’s. I would be more than happy to work around your schedule to find a time to talk if you are interested.
Thank you for all the help you have already provided, and I am hoping to talk to you in the future.
Best regards,
Amit
My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's diseases this neuron disease started 25 years before being revealed it was triggered the moment we started eating sugars including any and almost all carbs that break down to glycerol, and he was placed on the best medical treatment approved by the United States, (FDA) he has been taking Cholinesterase, Meantime to treat his memory loss, confusion and the problems with his thinking and reasoning. Just to help slow the progression and manage the symptoms, as no cure exists I read through with interest. I once believed Alzheimer disease has no cure. Well it is true with English medicine, but not with herbal medicine. My Dad's experience opened my eyes to the reality of a cure through herbs. My Father was a vibrant man before his encounter with Alzheimer. He was a scientist, hence his mental capability was never in doubt. In 2013, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer. The symptoms manifested through repeating conversation and gradually forgetting things. It became progressive from finding the right words during conversation, to significant confusion and forgetting details about himself. It was not a good experience, seeing your father whose brilliance had no match, totally became a shadow of himself. His doctors said the disease has no cure, just medications for treatment which had a lot of side effects were administered to him. Early 2016, while on the internet, I bumped into a story of Alzheimer, and I read about a cure through herbs with interest. I researched more to be sure it was not a hoax. In my quest, Doctor James herbal mix medicine was mentioned in the testimony. I contacted the Great Healer on his email that was provided (GREATCUREMAN'@MAIL.COM) and I got his herbal mix medicine for my father. He told me that his herbal mix medicine will help my Dad to reduce the abnormal protein fold inside his neurons, and regulate the nutrients and molecules in his body system, and as well stop the progressive disorder that build up in damaging his brain cells, and help his weak cells that causes brain shrinking to function well, it's a good herbal drinks for cell repairing. This doctor James is a super great man and his herbal mix medicine is wonderful and works effectively as he said, with no side effects. It's been 4 years and my Dad is perfectly okay and back to his laboratory work even at old age. For your loved ones with Alzheimer or Dementia, take them off English medicine and use Dr. James herbal mix medicine for treatment. If you are suffering from Dementia, Alzheimer's disease or facing different kinds of health challenges do not hestitate to contact the great healer on his Email at.(GREATCUREMAN@GMAIL.COM]. and get your permanent cure. He's a good man, and he will help you.
Great readinng
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