Alzheimer’s Hope Forum

Jessica Snell, Vicky Hartzler, WyAnn Lipps, Linda Fisher

When Jim was first diagnosed with an Alzheimer’s type of dementia, I began a quest to learn as much as possible about the disease. I attended walks, forums, symposiums, and training sessions. I read books about Alzheimer’s and inspirational books trying my best to stay positive. Becoming a volunteer and advocate helped me believe, that in some small way, I was helping in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

I was excited when Adam Timmerman from Congresswoman Hartzler’s office called me to discuss early plans for an Alzheimer’s forum in Sedalia. We had not had an Alzheimer’s program in our hometown for several years.

Adam’s planning resulted in an outstanding program. The first speaker of the day was Joel Shenker, MD PhD, a neurologist and cognitive psychologist. Adam couldn’t have found a more knowledgeable or dynamic speaker.

Dr. Joel Shenker

Dr. Shenker gave an overview of the disease along with prevalence and the personal and financial cost. He explained biomarkers, discussed research, and explained the different kinds of brain scans.

The truly outstanding element of Dr. Shenker’s presentation was how he shared information in a way that made it easy to understand. The cornerstone of his message was “We need a culture shift.” He said that we do not handle dementia well. Most people with dementia are undiagnosed and not treated. This means that a bus driver, a pilot, or a person in a leadership position could have undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease.

Research shows that most people with Alzheimer’s do want to know. Dr. Shenker said, “People can overprotect you, which robs you of your independence.” Think about those words and let them really sink in. In the early stages, input from the person with the disease can help them chart their own course.

I knew from personal experience that this was important information for the caregivers in the room. When Jim’s test results showed he had brain atrophy, his neurologist told us to get our affairs in order. Talk about scary words to people in their forties. He asked Jim, “Who do you want making decisions for you when you aren’t able to make them? Strangers, or your wife?”

“I want her to make them,” Jim said.

I shared some of my experiences as a caregiver with a “Caregiver Emotions” presentation. Emotions at the top of a caregiver’s list are guilt, resentment, anger, worry, loneliness, defensiveness, and grief. These emotions can be harmful to the health of the caregiver, so it is important to know strategies to take control of them.

The program ended with two panels. The first panel included a support group facilitator, a geriatric physician, a nurse with care planning experience, and a social worker. They each gave brief descriptions of what they did and answered numerous questions from the audience.

The second panel was made up of the Sedalia Walk to End Alzheimer’s chairs, Jessica Snell and WyAnn Lipps, and an Alzheimer’s advocate (me). Jessica and WyAnn talked about the Walk, the committee, and the need for community involvement. I talked about how anyone can be an advocate and stressed that we work with all political parties. Alzheimer’s is a bipartisan problem and requires a bipartisan solution.

The forum was a great success! On behalf of the participants, I would like to extend our great appreciation to Adam Timmerman and Congresswoman Hartzler for making this an event to remember.

Copyright © November 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

The Wrong Way

Coming into Sedalia, the southbound lane of Highway 65 splits, one lane toward downtown, and the other lane continues through town. I was on my way to line dancing exercise class and used the right-hand lane to go to the Celebration Center.

I was thinking about how early darkness had fallen, when the car in front of me swerved to the right. Immediately, I was gazing into the shadow of death in the form of headlights coming my way. In my thousands of trips through this area, I had never once met a car going the wrong way.

I swerved to the right, and the car passed by on the left. In my rearview mirror, I saw the car turn around and head back in the correct direction rather than continue north in the southbound lane.

There has been more than one fatal accident locally with cars going the wrong way. I know of at least two that involved elderly persons with dementia. In one case, the family knew the man shouldn’t have been driving, but taking the keys away wasn’t easy. The person with dementia may balk at relinquishing them and family may be reluctant to take away a final piece of independence.

One of the phrases Jim used when dementia interfered with his speech was, “You’re going the wrong way.” He told me that all the time, but it wasn’t because I was physically going the wrong way. He was trying to tell me something was wrong, usually because I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me.

In my opinion kindness, decency, and a positive attitude are going the wrong way. We have been bombarded with conspiracy theories, rumors, and character assassinations. I received a political advertisement in the mail that completely attacked the character of a man running for state office. The odd thing was that his opponent was not mentioned at all.

We’ve been inundated with negativity for so long, that it is having a detrimental impact on our quality of life. People are nervous, intimidated, and angry. I hate to think of the effect on long-term health, both physical and mental.

Perhaps the worst fallout from this exposure to negativity is alienation of family and friends. No one likes to be lumped into a group that has this, that, or another quality. Each of us has a different thought process and different deal breakers. Just because someone thinks differently doesn’t mean you are one hundred percent correct and they are one hundred percent wrong.

I’ve been wrong more than once. Luckily, I was wrong recently.

I sent a photo to an email address I copied from another source. An email came back. “I think you have the wrong person.”

I looked at the address and thought it was correct so I said the photo was attached taken at a recent meeting. “I don’t remember going to that meeting. When was it? My memory sometimes gets the best of me.” My heart sank. Oh, no, forgetting a meeting that occurred less than a week ago was not a good sign.

I swallowed hard and read the email to my husband. “That doesn’t make sense,” he said. “She was fine that night.” I had to agree with him. She was articulate, involved, and as spunky as ever.

As I sat there mulling over the situation, I noticed that I had left out a dot. I apologized to the person I had sent the photo to in error, and explained my mistake. I received a reply, “That ‘dot’ will get you every time!” I definitely sent it the wrong way…to the wrong person. Or was it the right person?

I have no idea who the unintended recipient was, but I appreciated his or her sense of humor. It was a lesson learned as far as I was concerned.

Maybe I’ve been looking at this entire political process the wrong way. I will admit I’ve have had a little fun when people share articles without reading them because of a misleading headline. The article may say exactly the opposite of what they presume it said, but they blow their stack over another perceived “outrage.”

Humor can ease a lot of angst. Don’t all of us need that now?  

Copyright © November 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

The Tricked and the Treated

Throughout my lifetime, I can remember different Halloween adventures. As we walked from home to home, we’d stop to pick up pears that had fallen to the ground. Word on the street would spread as to which homes had the popcorn balls or the best homemade cookies. Yes. Homemade.

In our town, you never heard of anyone tampering with candy. Halloween was fun and kids could count on being treated, and never cruelly tricked. The only trick for me was the upset stomach on All Saints Day from indulging in too many sweets the prior night.

Have you ever noticed that in life we know people who are tricked by life and others who are treated? Whether life brings rewards (treats) or disaster (tricks) doesn’t seem to have any correlation as to how deserving they are.

Good people get the biggest tricks of all—cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s. Bad people get big inheritances, win the lottery, and raise high in life by stepping on others. I’m not saying that all people who make it good in life are bad.

Badness comes from the core, not the outward trappings. Bad people trick good people because they have no conscience. They not only manipulate, they also revel in their power to sway gullible people. They bully and project their own shortcomings onto others.

Life doesn’t have a balance sheet. Good deeds for others doesn’t always produce dividends or reciprocation. Just as when someone cons you and takes advantage of you, don’t expect karma to bite them in the butt. Conniving a way to “get even” brings you down. Instead of revenge being sweet as Halloween candy, it’s more like biting into a razor blade hidden in an apple.

Personally, I’ve been both tricked and treated numerous times throughout my life. That’s the way it is for everyone. Maybe that’s where the balance is. Sometimes tricks turn into treats. I lost a job at a time when I couldn’t afford to lose the income. I found a much, much better one. When I was young, I had my heart broken. Then, I found my soul mate.

The thing about life is that when it hits rock bottom, it can’t possibly go any lower. Life is a cycle of good, bad, good, bad, good. Unless the rollercoaster flies off the rails, just hang on and enjoy the ride.

The choice is mine. Do I want to be one of the tricked or one of the treated? I choose to be treated.  

Copyright © October 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

New Alzheimer’s Novel: Brought to Our Senses by Kathleen H. Wheeler

I blog about early onset Alzheimer’s, and authors often ask me to read their books. If I believe I can squeeze in the time to read another book, I’ll ask for an electronic copy.

A few months ago, I had the privilege of reading a prepublication copy of Brought to Our Senses by Kathleen Wheeler, release date November 1. I don’t want to gush, but this is one of the best Alzheimer’s novels I’ve read…and I’ve read a lot of them.

Brought to Our Senses explores the family dynamics when early onset Alzheimer’s strikes the Kraus family’s mother. A dysfunctional family must reshape their differences to deal with the unthinkable. The distinct characters and the storyline make this a page-turner. This spellbinding story is so real to life that it is easy to forget it is a novel and not a true story.

I liken the quality of this book to that of Still Alice. If you only have time to read one Alzheimer’s novel this year, I would recommend this one.

Kathleen has kindly provided some background for me to share with my blog followers:  

Tell a Great Story: First and foremost, I wanted to tell a compelling story, one that just sucks you in from the get go. I’ve been drawn to reading and writing since I was a kid and have always wanted to write a novel. Once I grasped the premise for my book and realized what a great story it was, I just couldn’t let it go. I had to write it.
 
Build Awareness: I had other reasons for sharing the story too. Alzheimer’s was extremely traumatic for my family, and I’ve been changed by the experience. I wanted to share the reality of the illness, and I wanted to emphasize the importance of strong family relationships to get through such an ordeal.
 
Give Back: Finally, I wanted to do something positive for the community, something that would help others struggling with the difficulties of dementia. So I’m donating a portion of proceeds from the sale of my book to help organizations that support dementia patients, family caregivers, and research to find a cure.

Upcoming events: Here are a couple of those groups with events already lined up for my book’s release. If you’re in central Illinois, stop by or attend to see me and help with the efforts of these fine organizations:

SIU School of Medicine Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders
Alzheimer’s Awareness Educational Program
Free and open to public, register before or at the door as space permits

November 5, 2016 (Saturday) from 9 am – 12 noon

Memorial Center for Innovation and Learning
M.G. Nelson Family Auditorium
228 West Miller St, Springfield, IL

Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Illinois Chapter
Book Signing Benefit
November 15, 2016 (Tuesday) from 4:30 – 6:30 pm

County Market Mezzanine
210 E Carpenter St, Springfield, IL 62702

For up-to-date information, visit Kathleen’s author website:

http://www.authorkathleenhwheeler.com/share/

Copyright © October 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

Take Me Away…

At line dancing exercise class last week, our fearless leader, Ruth, said that line dancing was her way to relieve stress and take her mind off her troubles.

“That’s what it does for me too!” I said. “No matter how bad a day I might have, I leave here in good spirits.”

Part of the reason is that while I exercise, I have to concentrate on the steps. By focusing on the dance, I empty my mind of all the troubling thoughts that may have been plaguing me.

This month was our annual “take me away” Girl’s Trip for my mom, my sisters, and me. Our short vacation was a relaxing kind of busy. Still, it must have tired me out, since I spent the entire first day back in my PJ’s doing absolutely nothing beyond eating and breathing.

I haven’t figured out how to live without a certain amount of stress, but retirement alleviated a lot of it. Now, I seldom have a headache, while it used to be an almost daily event. Even so, I have too many things to do and not enough hours in the day to accomplish them.

Here it is, almost Halloween, and I’ve yet to put up my fall decorations. I planned on doing that three weeks ago, but it just hasn’t happened. I used my decorations at the October SBW meeting, and until Wednesday, I still had them in the trunk of my car. Now, at least, I’ve brought them inside, and they are currently on the dining room table.

I have been a wee bit busy lately. I thought after the craziness of September that October would be a little more laid-back. Instead, my calendar is stacked, double stacked, and occasionally triple-stacked.

This last week has been Business Women’s Week with daily activities. Fortunately, some of the events were simply stress-busters too. One night was “relaxation night” and I participated in a Zumba class. Another night, we played Bunco with a lot of laughter and visiting. Dinners and luncheons were an opportunity to spend time with my friends.

Yesterday was the second day this month that I didn’t have something on my calendar. That doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything. I caught up on some of my accounting, updated a website, and helped with plans for the Alzheimer’s Symposium that Congresswoman Hartzler is hosting in Sedalia on November 10.

I will present a program on “Caregiver Emotions” at the symposium. I’ve given this program three times before—once at the Senior Center in Warsaw, for the Men’s Support Group in Columbia, and for family members who had loved ones in a nursing home. By addressing the individual emotions, a caregiver can alleviate caregiver stress.

Managing stress is a crucial step toward staying healthy. Left unchecked, stress can leave you vulnerable to high blood pressure, acid reflux, blurred vision, irritability, and problems with concentration. Caregivers tend to ignore their own health problems, which can lead to the caregiver dying before his loved one.

The last few months of ugly political rhetoric has created stress for a lot of us. Social media has turned into a firestorm of disagreement, meanness, name-calling, and wild stories re-tweeted and shared as if they were the gospel. I can only hope and pray that after the election, people will rebuild the bridges they’ve burned with their family and loved ones.

Now is the time for all of us to look for those “take me away” moments. I find it totally relaxing to sit on the deck drinking coffee and conversing with the dog. Reading a good book is another way of getting away from the day-to-day stress that creeps up on me.

Hallmark movies, the Voice, and reruns of the Golden Girls saw me through many stressful moments. Laughter is the best stress buster, and I’ve found that the old truism “Laughter is the best medicine” is undeniably true!

Copyright © October 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

Give More Than You Get

We are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. I remember when my youngest son was young, he used to say, “Curtis and I want to go to Colorado and be mountain men.” One time my granddaughter told me that she wanted to be “Barbie” when she grew up.

I was watching a TV show several weeks ago and grown-ups were saying what they wanted to be when they “grew up.” One person said, “When I grow up, I want to give more than I get.”

Well, I never wanted to be Barbie or a mountain man, but I certainly admire the idea of giving more than I get. It’s only natural for us to look out for numero uno. After all, we’re looking at the world through one set of eyes and from one perspective. With our limited vision of the world around us some find it easier to be selfish than to be selfless.

Does it do any good to measure what others own to what we have? Coveting another’s possessions creates a miserable existence. Those who have little might envy those who have more, or those who have a lot might look down on people who have less.

Some people are innately generous, for example a child who gives his or her favorite toy to a friend. More common are the children who grab a coveted toy out of another child’s hands.

The odd thing is that often people who are the most sharing are those who have the least. Maybe it isn’t so strange after all. People who have accumulated a lot of wealth sometimes do so by pinching each penny until it screams. They’ve worked hard for what they have, and they don’t think anyone else deserves the fruit of their labor. Wealth can be a prison of fear and anxiety.

I came from a home with two hard-working parents who struggled to provide for a family with eight children. We never had a lot, but Mom and Dad instilled into each of us that a person’s worth was not tied to how many material possessions he had amassed.

Instead of telling us to go out into the world and try to be rich, our parents guided us toward being independent, hard-working adults who took satisfaction in being good people. We were taught that we weren’t better than the less fortunate, and we weren’t less than the wealthy. We were raised in a share and share alike environment, and it has lasted each of us for a lifetime. There is not a selfish member in my family!

One of the most generous people I’ve known in my lifetime was Jim. He would not only give someone the shirt off his back, he actually gave my brother the buttons off his uniform. He gave away a priceless tater bug mandolin and a valuable Gibson guitar. I would say throughout his life, he gave much more than he received. Greed wasn’t in his vocabulary.

Although dementia greedily snatched him away physically, he left an indelible impact on the lives he touched. Throughout his life, a circle of family and friends surrounded him with love.

Jim was one of the people who gave more than he got during his lifetime. No, he didn’t leave a monetary inheritance. What he left was a richness of memories, stories, and love of family.   That is admirable in itself, but I think even more important is that when he passed away, he left more than he took.

Copyright © October 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

A Bitter Pill to Swallow

Last week I got into the poison ivy again. Now, I have it for the second time in my life. The first time was about this time last year during the fall yard cleanup.

My husband, self confessed as never having had the itchy breaking out, told me I’d get over it if I’d quit scratching. He read up on the internet about several remedies. I tried cortisone cream, cortisone cooling gel, aloe gel, etc, etc. Anyway, before I broke out the baking soda/vinegar paste, in desperation I called my doctor’s office. The rash had stayed a week and I wanted it to be gone.

“Any questions about the prescriptions?” the girl at the counter politely asked.

“No,” I answered as I swiped my HSA card and rubbed my arms trying to relieve the itch.

Back in my car, I read the complicated directions: Take four pills today…blah, blah, blah. I hadn’t eaten much so I downed two pills and figured I’d take the other two after real food.

I seemed fine throughout the day. Toward evening, my tummy was a little upset, and I went to bed early because I was so tired. Being tired doesn’t equate falling asleep so I read until about eleven o’clock. At one o’clock, I awakened with an acidic burning in my throat and made a dash to throw up. It seemed to be my old nemesis acid reflux on steroids.

Since I couldn’t possibly lie down with the burning, I read the paperwork that came with the prescription. Golly gee, some folks have nausea and vomiting with this medication. Aren’t I the lucky one?

After breakfast this morning, I took today’s pills. I immediately noticed a bitter taste. “Wow, that was a bitter pill to swallow,” I said. I hadn’t even noticed the bitterness the other time.

Talking about bitter pills to swallow, I thought about it figuratively as well as literally. The expression “A bitter pill to swallow” means something unpleasant or painful but has to be accepted. I thought about bitter pills that I’ve had to swallow in my lifetime. The bitterest of all was when Jim was diagnosed with dementia. Oh, neither of us accepted it at first, and that’s not such a bad thing. We explored all the other possibilities—a stroke, blood sugar, vitamin deficiencies, depression, heart problems—through an endless cycle of testing.

The rollercoaster of emotions came to a screeching halt when an MRI revealed brain shrinkage consistent with irreversible, unstoppable dementia. Big bitter pill to swallow.

We all have our own bitter pills. Some of us have broken relationships, undeniable mistakes, failures, heartache, illness, pain, suicidal thoughts, stress, bitterness, self-loathing, or many other human emotions.

Emotional victims can be emotional survivors with the correct resources or support. Life throws pills at all of us, and full bottles at some. It is so important not to lose our way or give up. Fortitude is the antidote for the poison of adversity.

When going through difficult times, I have always been thankful that I’m not famous. Just think of the stress on movie personalities, politicians, famous athletes, and others in the public eye. Not only do they have to deal with their own doubts and embarrassing moments, all the armchair pundits worldwide have to throw in their holier-than-thou tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, op-eds.

We are creating an unhealthy virtual environment. People used to do their rants and raves in the privacy of their homes where only family and close friends knew how bizarre they were. Now, the internet explodes with conspiracy theories, blatant lies, and innuendos.

Friends and family use expletives in angry, small-minded conversations with others who aren’t of the same political persuasion, religion, ethnic group, or were born with a different color skin. It’s disturbing that we feel that rudeness and hatefulness are acceptable.    

As for my bitter pills, I remembered that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. What kind of sugar do I have in my house this time of year? Candy corn! Two pieces of candy corn wiped the bitter taste from my mouth. I’ve solved the literal bitter pill problem. Even a semi-load of candy corn won’t help the hurting people of the world to figuratively swallow a single bitter pill.

Copyright © September 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

September 21 Is World Alzheimer’s Day

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day. Currently, an estimated 47 million people worldwide are living with dementia. Alzheimer’s is a global problem, and researchers around the world are working diligently to find a cure.

We already know that Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America. It also has a devastating economic impact worldwide with a cost of $818 billion. Healthcare for persons with dementia are too specialized which increases the cost.

According to the World Alzheimer’s Report, “Currently, healthcare systems struggle to provide adequate coverage of diagnostic services, and care is too often fragmented, uncoordinated, and unresponsive to the needs of people with dementia and their families.”

A better approach, according to the report, would be to rebalance the services to primary and community with case management. Case management could be more effective if (a) caseloads were manageable, (b) clearly defined with training and adequate preparation and (c) the case manager would be empowered to coordinate care among providers.

This sounds like the purpose of the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act!

We are looking forward to a world without Alzheimer’s, but until then, the report rightly observes, palliative and hospice care needs to be improved for those with dementia. It is important to consider preferences of people with dementia about end-of-life issues.

Only 40 – 50% of people with dementia have received a diagnosis. The executive summary of the report concludes with, “We need to focus on achieving high coverage of dementia diagnosis and continuing care, both to ensure access to current evidence-based treatments and support, and to create systems and platforms with the capacity to deliver, with equity, much more effective treatments in the future.”

On World Alzheimer’s Day 2016, advocates will continue in their efforts to increase research funding. Caregivers will continue to care for their loved ones. Hospice teams will help families face the inevitable end of this incurable disease. Families will pick up the pieces and go on living without fathers, mothers, spouses, siblings, aunts, uncles, friends, or even children who die from dementia.

   

Resource:

World Alzheimer’s Report: https://www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2016.pdf

Copyright © September 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

The Crazy "Daze" of September

Every year Jim and I went camping in Colorado. The first year, 1983, we arrived in Estes Park during the annual rodeo, and if Jim hadn’t had a good line of gab, we wouldn’t have had a place to camp. Then, our planned drive up Fall River Road was cancelled because of snow. To Missouri people, snow in July was surely an oddity. Eventually, we discovered August was the perfect month to visit the Rockies. That is, perfect, except for the hordes of tourists.

So, we came up with a plan to go on Labor Day weekend after the bulk of the tourists had gone home. The aspens had turned fall colors and elk roamed the streets of Estes Park. We were in wildlife heaven! We pitched our tent at Moraine Park and prepared to enjoy the peace and quiet of cool mountain mornings.

On our third night of camping, I woke up cold. I rolled over on my back and splat, icy cold water dripped on my nose. Splat, splat, splat, the cold water began to drip faster. I covered my head with my sleeping bag and went back to sleep.

The next morning, Jim woke up early, as usual. He sat up and hit his head on the tent. He started punching the drooping tent trying to remove the six inches of snow that had fallen during the night. Ice water pooled in the floor of the tent and our sleeping bags were soaked. Snow continued to fall during the day; luckily, we found a cabin for the next night. Jim’s comment on the situation: “This will be a good story to tell our grandchildren someday.”

Life was much simpler then than it is now. September is one of my busiest months, and sometimes, I think the days of September have become the “daze” of September. The month whirls and swirls as events and deadlines surround me.

My to-do list has turned into a to-do book. I’ve broken it into four different categories trying to keep up with everything. The month begins for me on Labor Day weekend with the first of two family reunions, followed swiftly with our team fundraiser. Walk to End Alzheimer’s is always in early September, and I haven’t missed one of those since 1998. That definitely leaves out vacationing of any kind.

Just for fun, let’s throw in a club meeting, speaking at a conference, updating websites for numerous events, two dinners (on the same night!), appointments, mowing grass at home and in town, new projects, finishing old projects, and on and on.

A few days ago, I complained that I retired from a forty-hour-a-week job to sometimes work from daylight to midnight. The problem with retirement, as I see it, normal work hours don’t apply. It’s like being on call twenty-four hours a day without defined meal breaks.

Harold looked over my to-do book, and said, “It seems to me that most of your time is volunteer work.” This was after a marathon of working on my photo drive, at his insistence, which had nothing to do with my volunteer work, or did it? After all, other than my sunset photos, most of the photos were of, you guessed it, volunteer events.

“Well, I don’t want to work all the time,” I insisted, “but I don’t want to sit around doing nothing all day either.” There you have it: the dilemma—too busy, or too bored. Where is the happy medium?

One new thing I’ve thrown into the mix of activities is line dancing exercise class three days a week. I get my exercise, laugh, and forget the busyness and “daze” of September.

Yes, sometimes, I’ll look at the calendar and wonder what the heck I was thinking. Or not thinking. But, you know what? I’ve chosen this lifestyle of my own freewill. It is the life I find meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful.

Besides, before you know it, it will be October. Mmmm. SBW pajama party (guess who’s in charge), Business Women’s Week, proclamation, board meeting, chicken dinner, Halloween, …the to-do book is already running out of pages.

One thing I really look forward to in October is our “girls” vacation with my mom and sisters. Life is good. Busy, but good.  

Copyright © September 2016 by L.S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

A Little Help from Friends

Saturday morning, Walk to End Alzheimer’s day, was the big day we’d been planning for since shortly after the last walk. A night of thunder and downpours had calmed to a spattering of rain. Almost zero percent chance of rain, yet there it was big as life.

“It should be out of here by eight o’clock,” Harold told me.

“We start set up at six,” I groaned. I pushed the button on the coffee pot. For once, I’d prepared it the night before. I might have been a little concerned about hearing the 4:30 alarm.

I had been loading my car for days in preparation for the Walk. Banners, table, books, supplies, camera, notebook, clipboards, etc. had been loaded and checked off my long list. The first text of the day came in letting me know we were shooting for 6:30 to give the rain a chance to move out.

“You better put your books in a Rubbermaid,” Harold said. “Even if the rain quits, the ground will be wet.”

“Good idea,” I said. For once, I had not worried about rain and had left the books in the shipping boxes. We transferred books to the tub and Harold carried them to the car and placed them in the back seat like the final piece of a puzzle.

With my extra thirty minutes, I had time to sit down with a cup of coffee, and to look at the latest text messages. WyAnn had run out of space in her vehicle, and Jessica’s was already fully loaded. I admitted, I was out of room in my car too. Then, a text from my daughter-in-law asking if I needed her to bring her truck. She offered to help WyAnn, but when I called, WyAnn had recruited help from family.

The rain let up, so I gathered my purse, water, and my just-in-case rain jacket. On my way out the door, I saw the tub with my team’s T-shirts. I grabbed them up and put them in the passenger seat.

Harold, who planned on going to the walk at a more appropriate hour, opened the garage door for me and began to quiz me: Cell phone? Camera? Purse? Yes, yes, and yes.

I slid into the driver’s seat, slammed the door, and turned the key. Click. I didn’t believe my ears. My super dependable car didn’t respond. Another try…click.

“Raise the hood,” Harold said.

“I don’t know where the lever is,” I replied. I didn't recall raising the hood in the six years I’ve had the Malibu. Still, finding the release was much easier than finding the battery. It was well hidden.

I texted the group, “My car won’t start. I may be late.” Then, I texted Stacey, and she said she was on the way. I didn’t even want to consider how long it would take us to transfer everything from one vehicle to the other.

About the time Stacey arrived, Harold had attached jumper cables and the car started. “Don’t shut it off until you get there,” he warned me.

Stacey followed me to the fairgrounds. I was anxious because I knew we only had a short time to set up. When we arrived, the streets were lined with vehicles. Oh, great, I thought, there’s another event going on.

What? There must have been twenty guys setting up tables and chairs, tents, banners, flags, and holy cow, to help me unload my vehicle. I knew WyAnn said some of the baseball team from SFCC would be there to help, but we’d never had this much help!

For such a disastrous start, everything was smooth sailing after that. The sky cleared and with a little help from my friends, and friends of friends, the stress just evaporated like a drop of water on a sunny day.

My son took my car to W-K while I was at the Walk. That’s when I learned my six-year battery had gone belly up. How long had I owned my car? Just a little over six years.

But, hey, the sun was shining, people were smiling, and with a little help from my friends and family, all was well.

Copyright © September 2016 by L.S. Fisher

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