Daily Archives: July 28, 2007

I asked several members of my family to email or phone me with stories that included my grandpa at all stages of life. My cousin Kate emailed me with this story:

I remember going fishing with Grandpa at Eureka Lake. I would never bait the hooks. That was Grandpa’s job. He would also cast the line. I can remember it raining and learning that it is good to fish in the rain. After I caught the same small fish 24 times we made our way home.

But instead of going home we went to Baskin Robbins. I was feeling adventurous that day and decided to get two scoops of Rocky Road (on Grandpa’s suggestion) in a cone. By the end of that ice cream cone I had it all down the front of my shirt. Grandpa told me not to show Grandma when I got home. So I walked in the house sideways and ran to the bathroom to throw the shirt down the clothes shoot so Grandma wouldn’t see.

Too bad, Grandma did the laundry.

 (Posted on July 28, 2007 at 8:58 a.m. CST)

In preparation for the 2007 Blogathon I’ve been chatting with Marsha at the Peoria Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and she’s been kind enough to send over several things for me to blog about with regard to the disease.  Researching and preparing for this weekend has been incredibly enlightening and makes me appreciate even more what my family – especially those who were adults and helping care for my grandpa went through.  These points are courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association.

• There are more than 21,500 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the agency’s 20-county service area.
• Agency core services include the Education, Safe Return, Care Consultations, Information and Referral, and Support Groups.
• Programs are available for individuals and families dealing with early, middle and late stage disease issues.
  
• The agency’s vision is creating a world without Alzheimer’s Disease; the mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s Disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

(Posted July 28, 2007 at 8:30 a.m. CST)

Good morning and welcome to the first post of a 24 hour Blogathon which I have elected to participate in to aid in raising funds for the Azheimer’s Association in honor of my grandpa, Monroe Jackson Presley.

My grandpa died in March of 2002. He was a victim of Alzheimer’s and dealt with the disease for ten years. When healthy he was a 6’0” man weighing in at 360 pounds. When he passed away he was 125 pounds. He was a strong man, as you’ll learn in some of the stories I’ll be writing over this 24 hour period. He had an amazing sense of humor. He loved the Lord and he loved his family.

Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease. It affects the brain, and those who do not suffer from it cannot even fathom what it feels like to be in a state of confusion and unable to recognize surroundings and family. At this time there is no treatment to cure, delay or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s. FDA approved drugs can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s temporarily for 6-12 months on average, but only works on about half of those taking them. Alzheimer’s disease is now the seventh leading cause of death in America.

If you haven’t done so already, please support me these next 24 hours by making a donation here.

Posted on July 28, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. CST (going to have to do this until I figure out stupid timestamps!!)