Author Archives: anniesalzangels

Comments we’ve heard from folks not dealing with Alzheimer’s (Please add your own here):

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“She seemed fine to me”

“you don’t look like you have alz”

“arent you too young to have memory loss”

“did you really need to take his car away”?  one of my all time favorites after an accident traffic citation and getting lost numerous times, also driving up the road on the wrong side of the street

“why don’t your other family members help”

Cranberry Jello Salad

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During a thanksgiving dinner when Mom had Alzheimers, while eating a cranberry salad that was her recipe that she helped make that morning she asked “who made this delicious dish”? I respond you did Mom! “I did”? she says, I must be pretty good. Yes Mom you are! I still enjoy now 2 yrs after her death coming across her recipes in her handwriting and making them!

Cranberry-Pineapple Jello salad
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple undrained
1 8oz jello raspberry, cherry or strawberry
1 can whole cranberry sauce 1 apple chopped
2/3 C walnuts
drain pineapple, reserve liquid, add water to pineapple juice to measure 3 C pour into large saucepan, bring to boil
remove from heat add gelatin (jello)
stir until dissolved, add cranberry sauce, stir. put in bowl place in fridge just over an hr then stir in apples pineapple and walnuts place back in fridge overnite

The Sister Pact More Magazine Feb 2013

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Powerful story by Lee Woodruff

A good read…..

“Like most families, ours has a lot of skeletons in the genetic closet. Cancer, heart disease,depression. But most frightening by far is that my sisters and I are fourth generation standing in line to lose our minds. Alzheimers, dementia, senility….whatever the exact diagnosis, the result is the same: the slow ebbing, the agonizing erasure of a human being”

In this story sisters agree on a sister pact……dealing with end of life. Such courage……such heart break reading about their parents disease. Seems like each magazine I pick up has an article about aging or alz……distressing but knowing we are not alone in this can be helpful Lora

Thank you

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Cheryl Bricker who wrote Tate’s Story took the time to visit my dad and put together a book of memories.  She did all the interviewing which was sometimes difficult as dad would forget details of course with his Alz and being such a storyteller he would just go on and on and on and on!  Our family loves his book as do his friends.  If we would have waited even a few more months he would of been unable to remember and tell any of these stories.

Simple things were so helpful such as a friend taking him to Chik-Fil-A once a week.  Sharing rides to church and an errand to the store.  Sometimes it was difficult to find enough people to help!  Working two jobs (thank goodness fairly flexible hours) I could not physically be with him each day as he attempted to maintain his home.  Also a very helpful idea is someone taking your loved one out so you can get into the home to possibly clean or pay bills or toss expired items.  My dad would never allow these sorts of things so it was always done on the sly!   This is also how I found missed mortgage payments, taxes and other important bills.

No matter how difficult, you must at times take control and take car keys, take the check book, hire in home care even a few hours weekly.  When I had to sell dads car he was so angry and claimed now he could not do anything or go anywhere, so the in home care folks would always drive him around taking him numerous places even if most of it was a waste of time he still felt a sense of getting out of the house and getting things done.   Lora

Remembering Annie

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Moms sister Kate once said “she’s the greatest woman I’ve ever known”

A family friend described Moms simplicity as what made her so beautiful.

There is a quote by Story People about sitting on the waters edge looking over which reminds me of mom and I sitting in beach chairs at the Peninsula looking at the sunset and collecting shells and rocks on the shores of Lake Erie.