Dear Family and Friends,
I was particularly touched by this news article, which ran in several newspapers in Kentucky, and wanted to share:
http://www.lebanonenterprise.com/content/eight-letters-space-between-their-world-and-mine
Sincerely,
Bonnie
Posted in Caregiver, Fundraising, Living with Alzheimer's
Tagged Alzheimer's, fundraiser
Dear Family and Friends,
Last Friday evening, members of the 2012 Louisville Walk to End Alzheimer’s committee had the privelege of staffing a Walk information and registration table at the Louisville Bats game. We signed up several teams and handed out post cards about the Walk and about the Association’s services to lots more. We met our goals, so I could have gone home merely satisfied.
Instead, I went home absolutely fulfilled.
First, my husband and I got to spend time with Barb and Al Webb. Al was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago and he and Barb moved back to Louisville from Florida so they could be closer to family as they navigate life with this disease. What a truly delightful couple. Al’s cheerful attitude, punctuated by dimples and rosy cheeks, washes over you as you chat with him. Barb, too, carries her knowledge of Al’s condition with a hopeful demeanor. Behind the scenes, they’re clearly aware of the issues to come – financial, emotional, physical. But they’re surely channeling their concerns to make a difference by sharing their story and volunteering on behalf of the Association.
Second, we were able to speak with others who are facing the disease, or who have lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s. Without fail, everyone we spoke with who had been touched by Alzheimer’s wanted to share their story. One gentleman told us of his wife, diagnosed in her 50s and taken away from him by age 61. He didn’t have to be cheerful with us, and my heart broke for him as he shared his story.
Later, a friend of mine stopped by. When I asked her if she knew someone with Alzheimer’s, she cast her eyes down and said she thought her husband might have the disease. It felt good to share with her the services and information that are available from the Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She made a donation, too. I’m so grateful, and I hope shes reaches out to the Association.
From time to time, some children who were watching the game stopped by the table to see what we were giving away. They were silly and carefree, running quickly on when they discovered we had nothing for them. One young boy lingered just long enough to say that his grandmother has Alzheimer’s, however. He said it makes his mom sad. And then he, too, was on his way to catch up with friends
The Bats ended their evening with a loss, but I walked away with a winning feeling. I had the opportunity to talk with some people who are facing this devastating disease, to share some stories and to offer a little helpful information. I’ll be thinking about the people we talked with, and keeping them in my prayers.
Members of the 2012 Louisville Walk to End Alzheimer’s committee will be at two more Louisville Bats games in the coming months – May 27 and July 6. We’ll also be at the St. Matthews Farmer’s Market on May 19. Please stop by and let us sign you up for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Those who sign up on the spot and donate $25 will have the chance to win a Kindle Fire e-reader.
Or you can always go online right now and sign up. The new registration site makes it very easy. Here is the link: http://act.alz.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage
Sincerely,
Dear Family and Friends,
A group of 12 college students from Western Kentucky University are planning a two-month bike trip across the country with a plan to raise $175,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association. 
This will be the second time the Fijis have ridden cross-country for Alzheimer’s – the first time was in 2010 when they rode from coast to coast and raised $56,000. That ride was the inspiration of Fiji member Tyler Jury, who created the event in honor of his grandfather, who had Alzheimer’s.
This year, the Fijis will be starting their trip in International Falls, Minn., on May 25 and riding to Key West. They expect the ride to take approximately two months and at each stop along the way, they will be hosting fundraisers for local chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association. The Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter will benefit from stops in Evansville, Louisville and Bowling Green; visit http://www.bike4alz.org/explore-the-route/ to lean about their other stops.
This is a fantastic example of young men working together to fight a disease that, for them, is a distant possibility. I’m inspired by their commitment to a future without Alzheimer’s and while many of us cannot imagine biking more than 3,000 miles this summer, we can support their efforts to use their youth and strength to fight a cruel and unfair disease.
To learn more about these young men and their fight against Alzheimer’s, visit www.bik4alz.org. They’ve also created a video that is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OJOX5MZ5Ss.
Thanks for reading!
Bonnie
Posted in Fundraising
Tagged Alzheimer's, fundraiser, grandparents, parents, social media
Dear Family and Friends,
Al Webb has Alzheimer’s. To help raise awareness and understanding, he shares his story at various Alzheimer’s events. Below are his remarks at a legislative rally in Frankfort in January.
A couple of things about his remarks stand out for me.
First, Al was shocked by the diagnosis…he never thought Alzheimer’s would happen to him. There was no family history of the disease.
I have no history of Alzheimer’s in my family either…a lot of cancer, but no Alzheimer’s. As active as I am in trying to raise awareness of the disease on behalf of my mother-in law, I am now feeling a little big shell-shocked as I consider the possibility that this devastating disease could affect me, my siblings or my children. Every time I forget things these days, my private joke about my worsening memory is a little less funny.
Second, Al is focused on his family and how glad he is to be back in Kentucky so he can be near them. The recent Facts & Figures report from the Alzheimer’s Association found that one in seven persons with Alzheimer’s lives alone, and half of them don’t have an identified caregiver. How frightening. I am grateful for Al’s reminder about why we need to fight harder to find a cure for this awful disease.
My name is Al Webb. Barbara, my wife, & I have lived in Ky. for 9 years; 8 years previously and 1 year since our return. Our children & grandchildren all live in Crestwood, Ky.
We both know that if a cure is not found we will need more help from family in the future.
That plus our grandchildren asking “Could you come to Ky. and live closer to us?” was all we needed to return.
As for my career, I spent the majority of it in Human Resources, first as a recruiter, then as Mgr. of HR, and finally as Director of HR in Delaware. I was responsible for sites in Texas, Canada, Delaware and Il.
I earned a lot of air miles.
Barbara & I were retired in Fl. when I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Barbara was the one who suggested I see a doctor because I was repeating myself & forgetting things we had just discussed.
She was absolutely correct.
After seeing a neurologist & having a Petscan, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was confirmed.
We were totally shocked & devastated. I couldn’t seem to get past thinking about where this all would go someday and Barbara couldn’t get past wanting her old life back again.
It never occurred to me that I would ever be diagnosed with AD. My grandfather, father & at least 2 of my uncles had Parkinson’s disease so my worry for years was that I, too, would develop Parkinsons. You can imagine my surprise at my diagnosis of AD.
Slowly we adjusted to the diagnosis and started working our way out of the “funk”.
It continues to be a daily challenge. Staying focused, processing through a task, remembering conversations that were just discussed can all be difficult at times.
Our decision to move back to Ky. proved to be the best decision we have ever made.
We love watching our grandchildren grow up and mature. I especially enjoy attending some of the activities in which they are involved. We have watched track & cross country meets, swim meets and piano lessons.
What a joy it is to be a part of their lives.
It is also a joy to be near our children & their spouses, knowing we can call on them whenever we need them. And we have done so in the past year.
I now know why my grandfathers used to say “Whatever you do…keep the family together!”
I cannot imagine doing anything else.
The biggest change for me is not being able to rely on my memory which at times does not function very well. So I rely more on family for help.
Living with Alzheimer’s is definitely not for sissies.
My medications are quite expensive, even with the assistance of health insurance and Medicare. Prior to having Alzheimer’s I took 0 medications. The 2 medications that I now I take for Alzheimer’s cost so much that in 2010 I was in the donut hole by July. And that is with a drug plan. I can’t imagine how anyone affords these medications without insurance. Thank goodness Aricept has recently been released as a generic drug.
I’m certain that there will be more expenses in the future in regards to medication and my care.
I would be most appreciative if the legislature would help bring down some of the outrageous costs of medications and ensure that programs that are in place continue.
Thank you for allowing me the time to speak to you today.
Thank you, Al, for being willing to share your story. I know it can make a difference.
Bonnie
Posted in Caregiver, Living with Alzheimer's
Tagged aging care, aging well, Alzheimer's, moments of joy, parents, Walk To End Alzheimer's
