Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Things to look for

If I had been used to looking for differences I would have known what was happening. 
2004, Jerry was in the Halliburton yard working and the ladies called to ask if he was ok. It seems he was walking slower than the other guy. They had just been teasing him that the speed limit was 15 in the yard. A week later he's walking slow. 
Symptom? Maybe. 
About the same time I realized he needed help navigating around big cities. So I became navigator. Sometimes I told him wrong but we always made it to where we were going. 
He got picky about his food. All of a sudden he didn't want bacon, he still only  eats like one strip. 
He became more of a homebody. Didn't want to go to the movies or just a Sunday afternoon ride. 
Where theses happenings signs for me to keep in my heart? Signs that it really might be Alzheimer's.
I don't know. 
But probably. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

I'm just gonna say it--Alzheimer's.

For the last 13 years I have seen this coming. The first thing I noticed was during the drive to his moms in 2003. We had made the same roads from the time we moved to Oklahoma in 1962. That's what--41 years. On the transition road from Ft. Worth to Dallas we got on this particular strip and he says "I've never been on this road". I made the mistake of saying yes we have. He got all mad. 
Ummmm????
Is this Alzheimer's. ??
Other things cropped up. 
He retired, and then I got of a chance to really see the decline. 
Did I acknowledge the signs.
No I didn't. I just ignored them. 
But this disease doesn't stop, slow down or go away.

Do I like it? 
NOT!!