Be Healthy Solutions » My Mom

My Mom / My Dad and Alzheimers

Connie — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:56:33 +0000

Hi everyone, as Mother’s Day approaches, my Mom is more and more on my mind. I miss her so much. She died 2 years ago on Good Friday. Why is it that you need someone so much more after they are gone? Supposedly, as you get older, you expect to get some wisdom, but sometimes I think that I just don’t even come close to wisdom.

Anyway, Mom has been gone now for 2 years (and Daddy has been gone for 1 year) and I still firmly believe that we can fight off Alzheimers. I still firmly believe that if Mom had had a real chance of surviving the nursing home accident and the subsequent negligence, we would have had a very good chance of getting Mom back some from the abyss of Alzheimers. There are so many alternative health solutions to help with these kinds of diseases, especially if we eliminate toxins from the body and eliminate toxic products from our homes. And that is just two alternative solutions.

Mom and I enjoyed our last years together, maintaining her beautiful roses on the side of their home. She and I would go down the row of rose bushes and “ooh and aah” over the beautiful variations in colors…she had green, purple, white, red, yellow, peach, pinks and a few others that I can’t remember. They were gorgeous. We trimmed out some of her great Hosa ground cover and then planted those cuts in my flower bed right in front of our home. It all took just great and I get beautiful blurple (blue purple) colored flowers with the Hosa every spring/summer.

Mom helped me out (supervising) when I painted my kitchen and my bathroom. We giggled a lot but had fun being together. She also helped me pick out beautiful fabric to cover the kitchen chair cushions. It was perfect.

One of the most favorite things Mom and I did together was to go to the Le Peeps close by my house for brunch. We frequently did this and the waitresses there got to know Mom very well and also understood that she had Alzheimers. They were so wonderful with Mom and she delighted in their attention. Mom was a very tiny woman but she could really put away the good food at Le Peeps. She almost always got their Le Petite French Toast with strawberries and ate every bite.

I know that I mentioned in previous blog articles of Mom that she was not a particularly nurturing person but that with Alzheimers, she became the sweetest and most loving Mom I could ever have hoped for. When I would walk into the room where she was (her home, the secured Alzheimers assisted living facility or anywhere she happened to be), her face would light up with the greatest delight in seeing me. It would always make my day. She would then do everything in her power to make sure I had food to eat, or a blanket to cover me up if I stayed overnight in her home, or take me out on the patio to sit with her and enjoy the day and her roses or whatever she could do that might make me happier. She would constantly ask me if I was happy. I would constantly reassure her that I was happier than I ever thought possible and she would just laugh with glee. Throughout her Alzheimers time, she was always making sure that I was happy or checking to make sure that Daddy was alright. It was amazing to watch her and love her.

When my sister, Pattie, would drive out during the year 5 or 6 times (she came out as often as possible and she was a deaf ed teacher so it was not always easy for her to come out to visit), she and I would take Mom for drives in the mountains and Mom was always so pleased. Pattie and I would frequently take Mom to lunch at Le Peeps, Village Inn or somewhere special and Mom was always thrilled.

One of my favorite places to go with Mom was to the Goodwill Center on Broadway. We would walk up and down all the aisles and Mom would pick out things to show me. We always came home with clothes for her and clothes for me. It was fun and she loved it.

One of my very favorite pictures of Mom and Dad is below. I miss them both so much.

As you can see, Daddy was about 5′8″ and Mom was about 5′. This was early in Mom’s Alzheimers diagnosis. It was a terribly difficult time for my Dad. I lived only 10 minutes away from Mom and Dad so Daddy often called me to come over when he couldn’t get Mom to stop crying. Of course, in the early days of Alzheimers, Mom understood very well that she was losing everything: her memories. Eventually, she did not know who Daddy was. She always seemed to know me though…which was a blessing for me and hopefully, for her! I would always go over when Daddy called and climb into bed with Mom. I would hold her and rock her, telling her that I would never leave her. Eventually, she would calm down some.

Often I would spend the night on the couch and she would sneak out all night long to be sure that I was covered up with a warm blanket. I reassured her and led her gently back to bed each time. But 15 minutes later, she would be sneaking out to the living room again to check on me. She was so cute.

I have a special Whispers From Heaven windchime hanging in my front room that holds a tiny picture of my Mom and Dad. It also has a very special message hanging with it that reads like this:

When I left this world without you
I know it made you blue.
Your tears fell so freely,
I watched; I know this is true.

While you were weeping,
Days after I passed away -
While all was silent within me,
I saw you kneel to pray.

From this wonderful place called heaven
Where all my pain is gone,
I send a gentle breeze to whisper,
“My loved ones, please go on”

The peace that I have found here
Goes far beyond compare
No rain, no clouds, no suffering —
Just LOVE from everywhere.

You need not be troubled
Just stay close to GOD in prayer
Someday we’ll be reunited
My love, HIS love surrounds you always,
EVERYWHERE!

Blessing to all who read this blog with care and love! Be blessed with wisdom, love, peace and hope for all that is wonderful!

Warmly,
Connie Clark
303-770-3180

Journey through Alzheimers – My Mom

Connie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:36:03 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Mom and her journey with Alzheimers. If I had known then what I know now, I believe that journey could have been so much easier. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.

Mom’s greatest fear throughout life was that she would get Alzheimers like her Mom. I remember when grandma and grandpa lived with us for a while; one day grandma was so confused that she took off out of the house running down the street calling for grandpa. We all had to chase her and bring her back home. Finally, Mom realized that she couldn’t take care of her mom and dad; so grandma was put in a nursing home and grandpa went to live in a large house with other elderly folks.

Dad was struggling so much, trying to accept that Mom had Alzheimers. But it was near impossible for him to understand. She started repeating herself constantly and he would get so mad at her. She would start crying and he couldn’t ever get her to stop so I always went over then to rock her and calm her down.

I finally began looking for a senior type place that had enough security to keep her safe and also give her some things to do. She began going to a Total Longterm Care facility that provided the security and recreation for her several days a week. That really helped to give her a break from Dad and likewise, for him too.

I have a lot of pictures of her from that facility showing her at many different activities…gardening, making flour tortillas, making tissue flowers and other things. But she was always trying to escape from the place…it was difficult for the staff to keep her interested in things.

Her eating habits changed a lot and it was difficult to get food down her. I remember sitting at her kitchen table urging her to eat some snacks with me. I would take a bite and then have her take a bite. We kind of made it a game and it worked out sometimes. Mom was a tiny woman, less than a 100 lbs and under 5′. She started losing weight.

Interestingly, before Alzheimers, Mom was not a particularly “loving” person outwardly. She was a little harsh and opinionated; didn’t give hugs and was pretty fussy. She and Daddy were very involved in their church and did so much for others in that way. Mom taught a women’s Sunday School class, played piano and visited immobile church friends to help them out. Daddy was a music/choir director in many churches around the US, and overseas in Germany. Neither he nor Mom were particularly nurturing. BUT, amazingly, as Mom’s Alzheimers progressed, she became more and more loving, nurturing, laughing, giggling and I treasure those times with her. We became so much closer and had a very loving and caring relationship in her last years…..I am so grateful!

Be VERY CAREFUL in choosing a place for your loved ones to spend their last years if they need extra care. I will tell you more about that in my next MOM post. If I had known what I know now, I would have quit my job and brought my mom home to live with us. We had the worst experience at Julia Temple in Englewood, CO and I would never recommend that place for anyone. They, essentially, ended my mother’s life in 2 days. Be VERY, VERY CAREFUL!

Get your elder loved ones on the best health products possible because those last years can be so very difficult. This is the best health product, by far, that I have ever found to help everyone feel their absolute best and help to prevent disease/illness. I wish I had know of this supplement when I was caring for my Mom. Visit http://www.connieclark.max4u.com to learn more about it.

Blessings for Abundance and Health!

Warmly,
Connie
303-770-3180

Caring for Mom and Dad with Alzheimers/Dementia/Cancer

Connie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:55:26 +0000

It’s been almost 6 months now since Daddy died (March 11, 2009). I wasn’t even over my grieving for my Mom who died a year before Daddy (March 21, 2008). The past 8 to 10 years have been some of the roughest, and yet, some of the greatest times spent with my parents. I was chosen to be the caregiver for my parents and I am grateful.

Mom and Dad moved back to Colorado in 1998, after living in Texas for 10 years. Dad was feeling like their health was deteriorating (Mom had a breast removed) and he wasn’t sure that he could handle everything. I was so thrilled to have them back nearby.

We really enjoyed being able to visit often, going to dinner together, having holidays together again and just spending time with the whole family…my Mom, my Dad, my Mother-in-Law and our 4 children. Brothers and sisters came out to visit when they could….from MN, IL, CA and it was super.

In 2000, way too soon, my Mom began showing signs of forgetfulness. Alzheimers runs in our family and she had always worried that she would be like her mother with Alzheimers. And sure enough, she was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2001. I wish I had known about glutathione back then. What a dreadful disease…..helplessly I watched my Mom through the entire loss of her memories, her ability to form full sentences, her FEAR when she realized very frequently in the early stages that she was “losing everything” as she said so often. She began to wander a bit and Daddy would find her in some neighbor’s home. She would be frightened and not know who Daddy was so she didn’t want to go with him. She could no longer cook and Daddy had to always check the stove to be sure it was turned off. He would call me several times a week to come over because he couldn’t stop Mom from crying. I would go over, hold Mom in my arms and rock her, telling her that I would always be here for her whenever she needed me. Eventually, she would stop crying and I could coax a little laughter out of her.

Of course, I tried everything I could think of….medical treatments such as Namenda (I ordered it from Germany because it had not yet been approved here in the USA) and it did seem to help a bit. Mom couldn’t take the other treatments because they made her very ill physically. I made sure that Mom took vitamins, the very best that I could find at the time. I replaced all their chemically-laced toxic cleaners and personal care items with environmentally-safe products and I’m sure it was better for them, but probably way too late to do much good.

Mom complained about her leg hurting and she would cry asking us to please have her leg cut off. I would explain that we couldn’t cut her leg off but we would try to alleviate the pain. Her doctor gave her some arthritis med treatment but it didn’t do any good. He even gave her cortisone shots but they didn’t help at all. Finally, I tried one of my alternative health solution products and within a week, she no longer was complaining about the pain, her leg was no longer buckling under her and she was feeling just great.

I began looking for ways to keep her active and also secure. My Dad was becoming exhausted trying to take care of her and he needed breaks. I began contacting different kinds of senior care help, the Alzheimers Association, longterm health care, Adult Protection Agency and many others to learn what I could setup to help my Mom and Dad.

Watch for my next Post for this senior care help information. And please feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about Alzheimers and the solutions/hardships endured during this journey.

Be healthy and happy!

Warmly,
Connie

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Connie — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:35:23 +0000

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I can’t stress enough how important your glutathione levels are to your health and your aging. Disease/illnesses are building up in our bodies daily over the years and may eventually manifest in our body. I do not want to end my last years like my Mom and Dad with Alzheimers/Dementia/Cancer or my grandparents with Heart Attack and other illnesses. The quality of their lives in the end years was horrible and way too many people think they will be the ones to escape but with all the pollutants, toxic chemicals, pesticides, and I could go on and on, most of us will NOT escape.

Do yourself and your loved ones a HUGE favor and check out how to increase your glutathione levels (also helps to increase your DHEA)…WOW!

Warmly,
Connie
303-770-3180
optforsuccess@msn.com