Posted 4/1/22
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Hi all! Happy Friday. Happy April Fool’s Day, if you are a trickster. 🙂 Happy Spring if you like being tricked by the calendar. (It snowed here yesterday and I woke up with frosty windows on Tempo One. Lots to talk about and little time in which to talk…so, a typical day. 🙁 Off I go.
I have two equally great topics I would like to have time to cover today, but I will have to settle on one. Monday, Lord willin’, I will tell you about my clinical study from the last 2 days. Today I just wanted to tell you about a little thing I discovered that may seem sad, but I consider happy: Mom and I have a new game. Once I get eye contact with her, some days a Herculean task in and of itself, I move around near her bed and she follows me with her eyes. I bob around a little and laugh and she squints…her version of laughing. I can see it in her eyes. She is still her loving, laughing self…just broken. I know this little story seems almost pathetic, but it means a lot to me. Laughter is one of my mom’s most endearing qualities and I hadn’t seen or heard it in a while. John can sometimes get a smile out of her although I seldom can. But getting to the Goofy side of mom has been impossible until I found the little game. I hope it lasts a bit, but, even if not it has been great the last 2 visits. 🙂 Stinkin’ disease 🙁
#EndALZ
Update: Mom’s area just below her nose was looking better as of 2 days ago. I will see her again today and give an update. Other than that, same ole same ole. Such is the life of a patient with end-stage mixed dementia.
Training update: I finished March better. I need to run at least 200 miles in April. I am going to try to run the Frisco Marathon on the 30th to cap off a good month. That is the hope. 🙂 If you could donate to my little fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Association and SeniorAge, I would really appreciate it. I know times are tight. I completely get that. 🙁 After spending the last 2 days in an ADRC (WashU) off and on, I see the great things being done there and want even more to help them. Also, SeniorAge is doing great things for patients and caregivers every day. 🙂 Here is my fundraiser info and link (I am sorry to always ask…) :
https://www.gofundme.com/f/running-til-im-purple-ii
If you are local, here is another way you can help: The Springfield (Mo.) Cardinals are having an Alzheimer’s friendly game quite soon and I can help you get tickets with this QR Code link:
Sorry this was such a shorty again. 🙁 Life is sooooo busy right now. I have a lot to discuss about science. I want to discuss my study, ditching Diet Dr. Pepper (soon), some new innovations, a reminder about snake oil salesmen, and several more critical topics, but my time is toooooooooooo short. 🙁 Thank you for your support. 🙂
Here are a few videos that remind me of my laughing momma. 🙂
https://youtube.com/shorts/feeJsFBeNu0?feature=share
and even this one:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ySGj_8id2rU?feature=share