I found your website about a week ago and have visited often. Tonight, I decided to join you all. I am a caregiver for my DH. I am age 66 and he is 71 years of age. He was diagnosed five years ago...but we suspected it before then. We live in a small town in Texas. This is an awesome effort to help the forgotten caregivers that have to reinvent the wheel each day.
Welcome to my website. You have found a place of comfort to land. I developed this site because the emotional issues of caring for a spouse with AD are so different from those involved in caring for a parent, and there was no where for us to discuss our truly unique issues.
I hope you have visited the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com. There is a wealth of information there. I would suggest starting with "Newly Diagnosed/New to this website", and "Understanding the Dementia Experience". They are on the left side of the website. In the middle of the page, I update the Daily News Section every day with the latest articles and videos related to Alzheimer's Disease. Also on the left side, near the top, is the "previous blog" section. Scroll through those, and you will see many topics with which you can relate. I write a new blog every day or so, on issues that I am struggling with in trying to stay sane while navigating these AD waters with my husband.
You can go to the top of this page, click "search", and try putting in a topic you want to learn about. If it doesn't come up under "topic", try "comments". We discuss all spousal issues here that only another spouse can understand.
Evalena - I took my name from an experience I had a few years ago. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 years ago. After my chemo i said the chemo had killed all harmones except the one that grows whiskers on my chin....thus Grannywhiskers. Husband is not Grrandpawhiskers.
Grannywhiskers - thanks for explaining. I'm also in the cancer survivor club - had breast cancer surgery and chemo 4 years ago. I recall telling my husband that what I was going through back then was not as devastating as learning that he had Alzheimer's.
Welcome to our unique family. I am sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us. This is an amazing group of people with a lot of hands to hold and shoulders to cry on.
Welcome Grannywhiskers! We're of the same age (I'll be 66 next month), and my husband is 70. I'm glad to meet another cancer survivor! Please join in our discussions....we're happy to have new members, though we are all sad for the reason we have to be here. As you can tell, some of the group are animal lovers! <grin>
Thank you all for your kind welcome. I really had no idea that so much of ALZ is the same with each person. I know it progresses at its own rate but so much of what you all are saying I have been through or am dealing with now. Thank again.
Hello GrannyW Welcome.The best thing about this wonderful place is to realize that most of the things that seem so strange in what WAS our normal world, are common experiences among our loved ones. The NEXT best thing is the ability to communicate with those who already KNOW what we are learning,as well as others who are in about the same spot in this bumpy road as we.
I live on a small farm here in Tx. Midway between Houston and Dallas. Again, welcome.
You are so right about our former "normal life". I do not know NORMAL anymore...also...I am amazed how we all just start acceptin our new life style as Normal. My husband is Stage 5 (late - ish). As I live in a very small town in Texas about 90 miles from San Angelo, I sometimes envy those who have access to more doctors, elder lawyers and services. Just in the last year, 5 of us locals that have spouses with alzheimers have formed a support group. We are not connected to any group...we just meet to share our experiences and prop each other up. It has helped us all. It is a bumpy road. I try to keep my sense of humor...but sometimes it is hard.
Oh, San Angelo! My mother was there at the TB sanitarium when I was 12. We lived in Houston and had to drive there on weekends to see her. I remember how much desert there was all around, and then San Angelo was green and leafy.