Alzheimer's a Bitch

Gramps - Mom - Alysse - Me

Last weekend I went home to visit my family, specifically my grandfather who has Alzheimer's.

My mom had called to tell me that he was getting much worse. The kind funny man that I grew up knowing was now angry, physical, and argumentative. So I told her I would make the trip and come see him. I called my brother's and we planned to get together Saturday, go visit him and see what we could do to help.

Well when we we arrived he was just setting there sleeping. My mother woke him up, since it was also almost lunch time. He just stared at us for 15 minutes while we tried to talk with him. We talked with other patients in the memory care unit. We watched one attempted escape, and laughed when she turned herself in immediately.

The only reaction we got from gramps was when mom asked him if he wanted help to go to lunch. He shook his head yes, and then shuffled off with mom to his spot in the dining room. So the body is still there, but the mind is gone.

What do you do to reconcile your memories of the man that was versus the shell that still exists. This decorated war veteran, who I once heard tell a TSA agent when the metal detector kept going off, "that's shrapnel from when the ____  got me in Korea." This is the guy who sang, "I Love to go swimming with bow legged women". Which always got hum called Donald Clarence by my grandmother. This is the guy that took you on your first duck hunt at 4 years old? The guy who stopped taking me to the bar when I was  four because I kept sliding off the stool? Or got you hooked on big american Lincoln's and Mercury's? Was a UAW member through and through?

My favorite story of all time was that he had Carotic artery surgery to remove a blockage. He was waking up in the recovery room, and was being attended to by a sweet young red headed nurse, and grampa was hitting on her and asking for a sponge bath. He kept it up until she was replaced by a large male nurse.

I don't know, but I'm glad my daughter and my nephew's got to meet him and know him prior to this terrible disease taking his mind. Because he is just a shell now. A loved shell, but a shell. I have resolved myself to this fact. Hopefully someday this disease will no longer exist. But for now it does and its a bitch!

Overabundance of unloved dogs...

I was reviewing my blog to see what I could do to get more folks looking at what I'm writing about and I actually realized that one of the items I said I was going to ramble about was dogs. I have been remiss in writing about some of the best friends I've ever had. Four legged friends that is.

I was blessed that my parents had dogs in our house from a very early age. From these animals I learned compassion and responsibility among many other things. They were companions that helped fill my days.

These four legged friends are a gift and it seems that not everyone takes the commitment as seriously as they should. I try to help as much as I can by donating to rescues so that some of these pups can get a second chance. They are spayed or neutered and then adopted out.

I say all of this to let you know that my heart really goes out to these pups. I wish there was more regulation on these puppy mills. I wish all of the irresponsible pet owners would immediately spay and neuter their animals since its the right thing to do. That way we could cut down on the number of unloved dogs.

We had a slight tragedy at the end of last year, our 14 year old schnauzer Jo Jo, after having a splenectomy, succumbed to whatever cancer had caused the enlarged spleen. We were all heartbroken because she was the sweetest dog ever, except to Jessie.

We acquired her as a rescue. Her original Owner had failing health so she could no longer care for poor Jo Jo. So that is how she came into our family. She loved us and we loved her back.

Jo Jo 

But then she was gone, and it left quite a void. We couldn't stop thinking about her, including Jessie. The entire time that we had her, Jessie and Jo Jo ate from the same bowl. They could do math, one would only eat half the bowl and leave the other half for whomever was next. Jessie looked for her, and could't figure out where she had gone.

Based on our experience with Jo Jo we had decided that when the time came for a new furry family member we would be adopting from a rescue. We started looking in June, and we just couldn't decide when the right time would be.

In late June one of the rescues we follow and support posted a Facebook message that they were rescuing 25 dogs from a hoarding situation. That they did not have room, and that they were having an emergency adoption event the next day. They wanted folks interested in adopting to come the first night, and then have fosters come the following day.

We arrived early and we saw a cute pup. We asked to see her. Ash sat on the ground and the dog crawled in her lap and sat down. I then immediately knew that the skinny, stinky, bad haired dog was our next pup. Just wagged her tail and wanted her belly rubbed.

Well she went home with us that night and we now have a great new member of our family. Her name is Lucy, and she is a purebred mutt. She loves everyone. Enjoys laying with you to watch TV and Loves when you get home. Hopefully she'll be a good sister to Jessie for a long time.

Lucy 

So please, when its time for your next pet, please save a pup. The more folks who get rescue dogs will be that many less pups that help continue the puppy mills.