Being in the right place at the right time

Today as I was running to set-up for the Zumbathon I remembered I had to get ice and other things but I don't like going to the Stater Bros by me so I was going to wait until I got closer to the clubhouse but for some strange reason I made a U-turn and went back to Stater Bros. We got what we needed and my Mom kept trying to walk away I had to keep asking her to stand nearby to not go too far awa

y the cashier looked at me and asked why we were wearing purple and what my purple wrist band said I told her we were on our way to an Alz event and purple is the color for support. She said "oh" and then went on 4 times to try to count my change back I asked her if she was okay she said her Mom was just diagnosed with early onset Alz, she is 55. I asked her how she was doing and she said she was lost and trying to understand it, I asked her if she had contacted to the Alz Assoc, said no, we went to the car and put a package together with helpful information. She was very thankful and kept hugging my Mom as I was telling her briefly about our journey. I guess it's true what they say, that God puts you in the path He needs you to be in. I hope she reaches out to the Alz Association.

5 year anniversary

5 years ago on 9/5/07, my Sister, Niece and Nephew and I walked into the Alzheimer's Association one sunny morning no longer as Volunteers but now as Clients :( Our Mom had a Doctor's appointment that afternoon to be officially diagnosed with Alzheim

er's although we already knew deep down but were in denial for years. I had been there dozens and dozens of times as a Volunteer since my Grandmother passed away from the disease in 2004 but this time I was so nervous and scared that as I waited for my Sis and her kids to get there I went to use to the bathroom but accidentally used the Men's room and didn't even notice until after our Family Orientation my Nephew pointed out that I had used the wrong restroom and didn't even notice it and we all laughed/cried. Since then that's exactly what we have been doing laughing and crying as we see this horrible disease take away our beautiful Mom/Grandmother from us everyday little by little, it's a disease I don't wish on my worse enemy. It's the most heartbreaking disease to see the woman who was your strength and rock for so many years look at you with those vacant eyes at times not being able to get the right word to answer something or remember who she just got off the phone with. Please help and be part of finding a cure for this disease that affects 1 out of 8 people over the age of 65 and 1 out of 2 over the age of 85. You can come out to our Zumbathons on 9/9 in Corona or 9/16 in Huntington Beach and/or be part of A Walk to Remember Team on 9/22. Thank you and God Bless.

Day Two of World Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Memorization

Memorizing something like all the US Presidents along with their VPs or what state they served would be a great way to help exercise your brain

We all know the US States, so how about memorizing all State capitals.  

You can find anything to memorize as you wish, the constellations, or another's countries Presidents if you already know all the ones in the US and you want to challenge yourself more.

Remember to have fun with it so you keep doing it.

Finding activities

I had to run out to the store the other day and my Mom was getting restless so I found these buckets with different fake fruit on each, they were mixed up so I said it was sad people mess up the employees hard work so she agreed and started to put the fruit in the proper bucket as I kept shopping next to her. I would ask her what do you have in your hand and what is its name in English since she only speaks spanish. I found something to keep her entertained as well as having her use her brain muscles to think as she she doing something. I also had her tell me the colors in spanish and English.

September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month!

September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month!  Do something different today to exercise your brain by using the opposite hand to operate your computer mouse, brush your teeth, dial the phone, to eat, or use the remote. Your brain is learning a new skill so it may feel uncomfortable at first!


August has passed and it was a extremely busy month for us, we started giving back to the Alzheimer's Association a bit more by setting-up a information/walk to end Alzheimer's table at Angel Stadium and so far we have had great results with people getting information they needed and many have signed up for the upcoming walks.

September will be very busy for us with Zumbathons-for-a-Cure to end Alzheimer's coming up on 9/9 from 10am - 12 noon at Shake it up Club at 440 River Run Road, Corona and on 9/16 from 2:00 to 4:00pm at Continentals Clubhouse at 19801 Brookhurst, Huntington Beach, the cost is $15 in advance and $20 at the door, you can email me at gigiam77@yahoo.com or my sister-in-law Zumba Instructor Frances Moran at francessantillan@msn.com.

We continue to take it one day at a time with my Mom's disease and taking deep breaths as the disease progresses.

Getting out of the house

As Alzheimer's progresses I've noticed it getting harder to get my Mom out of bed, that's were therapeutical fibs come in.

She can and will stay in bed all day if she is able to but I try to keep her as active as possible. When the weekends come she especially wants to stay in bed of course I let her stay in since we all need to rest but once I notice she its more of a depression or laziness I tell her that it's a weekday and she gets up really fast which works wonders. If its later in the day I try coaching her to get out if bed or tell her I have a surprise trip for her which she loves hearing Trying to find the right words can be tricky and do not work all the time that's when I'm thankful for Alzheimer's and that she will forget in ten minutes then we can try it all over again and hope for the best.

There have been times I have had to treat her as a child and be playful and tell her that the doggies will get her if she doesn't get out if bed and that has worked in the past, it's all about trial and error.

The one thing that will not work is of we as Caregivers get upset and raise our voices. They are still our loved ones and need to be showed respect even though it might be hard at times when we are stressing trying to get out the door we are running late that's why I plan our trips out of the house in the later mornings and give me a few hours to get us ready.

Respite Time

As a Caregiver having respite time is very essential to not only the well-being of the Caregiver but of the Loved One/Patient with the disease. 

At times I feel guilty that I need to say "I need time off!" because I personally feel that I am saying I don't love my Mom but it's the opposite I have learned.  I love my Mom so much that I need a break once in a while to just regroup and rest so I can be a better Caregiver for her and not have any resentment or become so exhausted that I become ill myself. 

I know my life has changed tremendously from five years ago when I used to come and go and do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted but now someone else depends on me and my time is restricted but I am thankful that I have my Sister Alby, my Niece Alexys who are in this journey with us.  We also have a Friend of the family, Charise who has become my Mom's number one Companion and my Mom is always saying how Charise is another Daughter that God has sent her.  I am very blessed to have them in my life and help make caregiving a bit easier to handle. 

Respite time can be anything that a Caregiver makes it out be.  It could be going on a week long vacation to taking an hour away to get their nails done, getting coffee with a friend, watching a movie,  or going for a walk around the block.  As long as a Caregiver gets some away time to recharge that's what is the most important for both the Caregiver and Patient.