We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day all week with a very special love story. Meet our blogger, Angie and her husband John, who talk Valentine’s day, marriage, commitment, love and life in the face of Alzheimer’s disease.
Angie, family caregiver
Angie’s husband John was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2008. This is their story.
Angie and John, A Love Story: Our Wedding, Our Marriage
Angie and John, A Love Story: Valentines Day
Collection of Valentine's cards from over the last few years
We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day all week with a very special love story. Meet our blogger, Angie and her husband John, who talk Valentine’s day, marriage, commitment, love and life in the face of Alzheimer’s disease.
Angie and John, A Love Story: How We Met
We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day all week with a very special love story. Meet our blogger, Angie and her husband John, who talk Valentine’s day, marriage, commitment, love and life in the face of Alzheimer’s disease.
Recalibrate
A year or so ago, my aunt gave me a message from her husband. She told me that Uncle Dan had asked her to deliver to me a one word message: recalibrate. She asked if I knew what he meant. Yes, I knew. Not just the meaning of the word, but what he was trying to tell me.
Recalibrate.
At the time we were busy doing chores around my house and although I heard what she said, I didn’t want to concentrate on the message. It was just another thing to put on my ever growing to do list.
Recalibrate. Continue reading “Recalibrate” »
“I barely have time to make sure my toenails are polished.”
It’s National Caregivers Month and we’re on a roll talking about common caregiving challenges. Many of you know Angie, who blogs about her experience caring for her husband who has Early Stage, Younger Onset Alzheimer’s.
Her latest blog is a great example of this week’s topic, caregiver stress management:
In my support group we sometimes talk about the often heard phrase, “take time to take care of you.” The biggest questions for me are: How? When? Between work, church, family and John; I barely have time to make sure my toenails are polished.
But the conversation made me think, do I take care of myself? I’ve tried different things: a gratitude journal, meditation, the gym, food, drink. All had their pros and cons. As a writer, I liked the idea of the journal. The premise was simple, just jot down five things a day. Seemed easy enough, but after a few weeks I was circling around the same things. I couldn’t keep it fresh, so I got bored. Continue reading ““I barely have time to make sure my toenails are polished.”” »
John confesses to Angie: “I’m really sad.”
We were sitting at the dinner table, just finishing up our evening meal when John looked at me and said, “I’m really sad.”
I stopped fussing with the plates and gave him my full attention. “Why are you sad?”
“I’m sad because I’m leaving you. Alzheimer’s is making me leave you. I’m dying.”
I got up to hug my husband. Although I tried to comfort him by saying that none of us really knew where and when they would die. In my heart I knew that John believed what he was saying. He was actually fading away. Continue reading “John confesses to Angie: “I’m really sad.”” »
