OT - The 2012 Walk to End Alzheimer's Fund Raiser

Tootawl

As some of you may know, I lost my dad due to complications with Alzheimer's disease 2 years ago. Alzheimer's runs thru both sides of my family, specially on my dad's side. I also lost both of my grandfathers and a great-grandfather to the same disease. What is real scary is that my dad's 3 brothers do not or did not have this disease. My grandfather's 3 brothers and 2 sisters did not have this stuff. I'm betting my great-grandfather's siblings didnt have it either. Does anyone else see a straight line pointing toward me?

I'll be walking in this year's "Walk to End Alzheiners" to raise money for Alzheinmer's research. This 3 mile walk will be on September 15, 2012.

I learned something at the first Walk did that kinda scared me and woke me up. There have been cancer survivors. There have been diabetes surviviors. Many other diseases can be cured There has NEVER been an Alzheimer's surivior.

Imagine this: You go to visit your dad and he has clue who you are. Yeah, that sucked. That kinda of stuff stays with ya for a while.

If you would like to donate, Please click here to donate whatever you can online. If you would rather not donate online, there is a form on the website that you can mail in. Some people may want to Paypal a donation. Unfortunatley, that is still not an option. Please contact me directly if you want to donate by Paypal. If the link does not work, please go to http://tinyurl.com/cliffandrews2012. Typing that web address is alot quicker than typing the full site address which is http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk/DC-NationalCapitalArea?px=5300455&pg=personal&fr_id=1524 !

You guys and gals have been VERY generous the past 2 years.
Anything will be greatly appreciated. Thanks gang!

Tootawl

9 days until the Walk!

Klif50

My mother, who is now 81 years old, has suffered with the disease for the last 10 years. Each month she gets progressively worse. Even though I see her every 2 weeks (she lives with my sister about 100 miles away from me), she doesn't know who I am until I've been with her for quite a while. The most disturbing part of the disease is that she has no memory of yesterday or last week or last year but is progressively moving back in time with her memories. She is sharp on the early 60's now and luckily I have a very good recollection of that time so we can have meaningful conversations about the neighbors, the pets, what a brat I was, the cars and house and kinfolk. As she moves back in time and loses more of the memory that I can relate to I know that we will no longer be able to talk and converse and I won't be able to bring a smile to her face any longer. I'm probably good back to 1955 (I was 5 then but still have really good recall of that time). Once she moves out of the time where we can bring up more memories then I'll just be another stranger talking to her and she won't have a clue who I am or why I am there to see her. Hopefully, as long as she can stay with my sister and they have daily contact she will remain in a loving environment and not want for anything.
As I have inherited diabetes, heart disease and Meiners disease and glaucoma from both my mom and dad I can look forward to reliving my life in reverse and I hope that when that begins to happen that I can remember to take a proactive step if there is no cure or hope for a cure and go ahead and check out on my own.
In the meantime, a donation is flowing to the walk as I type.
Good luck on the walk,
Cliff

Tootawl

81! Wow.... Mom passed away at 69 and dad passed awat at 74. My dad did the same thing as your mom. He could remember things from the 50s and 60s as if it was yesterday. We had to put him in an assisted living care place then an Alzheinmer's home. The assisted living place was about 4 miles from my sister's place and 200 miles from me so he saw my sister more than me. He forgot who she was first. I hate to say this but be prepared for the stare. WHen my dad got real bad off, he would just sit in his chair, not speak above a whsipered mumble and just stareat the floor. I took a photo of dad and sent it to some friends he has known for over 50 years. One of them said the truth..the lights are home but no one is home. One piece of advice for ya, if your mom tells you a story, pretend it's the first time you heard it. Something else I learned, don't argue. My dad told me that his 72 year old friend just gave birth to twins. Trying to correct him would just make both of us very miserable.

There is just 1 week left before the Walk. I hope you all can make a donation at
I hope you all can CLICK HERE and make a donation so that a cure can be found.. BTW, my dad was a coin collector! He collected silver and gold American eagles and mint sets.

Tootawl

Tootawl

It's almost here! Plenty of tme to make a donation to the Walk to End Alzheimer's!