Winner

I joined this support group, DailyStrength.org, hoping to find others with early onset alzheimer's. Seems I am always looking for someone to be my "online pen pal" if you may. Anyway, the owners put together a contest. You had to write in your journal and then they would read and judge the journals and determine 2 people with chosen charities for a $1,000 donation. Well it turns out they had so many that they ended up giving 4 $500.00 donations and I was one of the four for the Alzheimer's Association donation. Yea, I am so excited. This is my entry........

Friday, October 26, 2007
Hi, my name is Sue. I am 56 years old and I have vascular dementia and early onset alzheimer's. I was diagnosis in 2004. I don't go by stages but by what I can still do and accomplish. I have 5 children with my youngest one going to boot camp next Monday. I have so many grandchildren that I quit counting and 2 great grandchildren. The youngest great grandchild is the apple of my eye. I would like to see Doug donate to the Alzheimer's Association Research to find a cure or at least to stop or slow down Alzheimer's. Mainly not for me but for my kids and their kids. I have a very loving a devoted husband that thinks for me sometimes, finishes what I say or start when I can't or get sidetracked. He is so supportive, I could not be doing as good as I am without him. It makes me sad sometimes to know that he is going through his own nightmare with all this. I have always been the strong one in this marriage now he is having to take over that and many other roles. I have helped start a support group for people with early stage dementia in my area. People still don't want to come out and say they have Alzheimer's and dementia because of society's take on it. We are not losing our mind just our brain. Meaning we are not crazy you do not have to be afraid of us. Yes sometimes there is violence. See I was a nurse for 30+ years in nursing homes. I have worked with people and families who have had to deal with this. I have tried to make all the transitions easier for my family than some people I tended to. That's not to say they are going to have it any easier dealing with me forgetting who they are or what life has meant to us as a family. I try to live every day like it could be my last because no one knows for sure when that day will come. I say I try, yes I get discouraged and depressed at times. I really try hard not too though. It is called life, you have to take the good with the bad. I would love to communicate with anyone that has early dementia or alzheimer's. That is what brought me to this site to begin with. In search of people going through what I am going through, to encourage each other.

Hope you enjoyed it. May they find a cure or at least a way to stop Alzheimer's in its tracks.