Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Doug’s mother had Alzheimer’s Disease.  Her last two years of life were spent in a nursing center.  She had to have a locked facility because she wandered.  Both she and Doug’s father were in their 90s.  Doug’s father tried to tend to her all alone, but after a long while he just couldn’t.  So we helped him find a facility to help.  I wrote to her every week.  She loved getting my letters.  Doug called her every week.  She loved getting his calls but could not remember that he called.  She complained she never heard from him.  She told me once on the phone that she hoped someday we could meet.  That made me sad, but I just said, "Yes I hope so too."

This is such a sad disease.  At the Northwest Quilting Expo this weekend, there was a display of names and small art quilts that told stories of loved ones who had died or were living with Alzheimer’s. 

It was much like when I viewed a small portion of the AIDS quilt: it was overwhelming.  Doug and I could not stay to read more than a few stories.  It just broke our hearts. 

My good friend’s mother is suffering from it and is in the last stages.  Her brain is just slowly shutting down her body.  He is fortunate that he lives close by and the family has such strong support system.  She is still home and Hospice care workers are helping at this point.  There was one quilt there that was perfectly her: a barren land with a tree-trunk, no branches or leaves. 

The story said that her mother had a rich life with love of friends and family.  Alzheimer’s had stripped all that from her.

Sunday we all walked to bring more awareness about Alzheimer’s and to support more research to end this terrible disease.  It was a short two-mile walk.  Interestingly it was not organized like the Race for the Cure–little media coverage, if any.  Little pomp.  Just this large crowd of people walking together to help end Alzheimer’s.

• One in eight older adults in the United States has Alzheimer’s.
• 5.2 million American’s 65 and over have Alzheimer’s.
• Nearly half of those 85 and older have Alzheimer’s.
• Almost two-thirds of all who suffer are women.

peace~~