Life on the Ranch is Good

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My Dad has Alzheimer's Part 2

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My dad is brilliant and charming and full of swagger. My dad is poet. When I was a little girl I often mixed up my dad and Bob Dylan. My dad dreams big. He has an idea and then he has the balls to just do it. He has made and lost several fortunes that way. My dad is an ancient Christian Buddhist who believes in Navajo. My dad is a first class groover. My dad has early onset Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's has taken his brain and filled it with plaques and tangles and it makes it hard for him to remember. This has been so hard. Hardest for him. Hard for everyone. Alzheimer's is a cruel disease. For eight years we have struggled. We, as a family, have watched the disease creeping into our lives. My dad calls it "the storm". It can isolate someone. But we won't let it. My dad still has a lot up his sleeve. He still has so much to contribute. He's way too young to hang with the geriatrics and he has always been so, so social. He still plays in his b...
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Positivity

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Positivity is our new motto. My sister got us some bracelets with the motto and I ordered more today. Here's why. My dad was recently accepted into a study for a new way to fight Alzheimer's. When the doctors in the study looked at his latest MRI, they decided that he had Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. They kicked him out of the study and sent us to a Neurosurgeon. Dad went to see the doctor and learned more about the disease and his prognosis. This disease has three main symptoms and dementia is one of them. The best thing about this disease is that is it treatable. His doctors are saying that he has both Alzheimer's and NPH, but we aren't so sure. We are hoping that maybe they are wrong and that he only has NPH. After all, Alzheimer's can't be totally confirmed until autopsy. The way to treat NPH is by placing a shunt in the brain and draining fluid. My dad is going to have the surgery to place the shunt on June 5th. I would like to ask you to...
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Grateful for my Family

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Sometimes my days are emotionally exhausting. Yesterday was one of them. I poured out positive, calm, cheerful, desperately needed vibes all day- until my car got towed and the sun sent trickles of sweat down my inner thighs and the children looked at me to make it all better and I couldn't. I didn't have any more positive vibes left to give. So then I just held it all in so I wouldn't cry in front of the kids and carried on. I carried on through making dinner and reading aloud and putting the kids to bed. Then I let go and cried. After a few moments of self pity, I put on my softest pajamas and recharged on my chaise lounge with Survivor and Modern Family and some travel surfing. I snuck in to see the kids and kissed their soft, warm cheeks and brushed back their sweaty hair and marveled in who they were. I know that I have an amazing support system. Last night, my husband rushed home when he got off work at seven last night and gave me love and support and didn...
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