Don't get lost!

Another cliff note to get the DL (down low)

So from mid-April to close to the end of August my fiance was working 7:30-7:30 most days of the week & I was living in a new state, in a FOREST (reminder...I'm from the city!), & stuck with a 77 year man that believes "house work is women's work" & he has Alzheimer's... I'm not familiar with anything here...no friends, no family, the house is still a wreck during this time, I'm trying to learn everything about Alzheimer's...I got sooo depressed, gained weight which equaled more depression. I'm cleaning toilets & his grandfather that has done nothing all day but sit & watch TV is wanting me to fix him lunch. REally?! You can't do that...? I'm painting, doing laundry, I scrubbed the living, dining, kitchen, & bathrooms on my hands & knees 3 separate occasions (to get the grout off from the tile) & he can't make a sandwich? Oh I felt like a slave & so alone. Can't go anywhere...well not very often. It may take 2 hrs to get him in the car for anything (dinner, doc appt, groceries)...or he may not go at all! P.S. he is strong...great health....just the mind isn't functioning to it's full capability.

What a hard transition. Luckily my fiance & I went to go visit my family at the end of August. We normally ride 100 miles, I say normally...we did 1 year. The next year Mike decided to break his femur, I drove straight from FL to the hospital...I got there at 6am---I remember bc Starbucks wasn't open yet. I parked & stayed 1 night there & figured I'd unload everything the next morning...to find MY ROAD BIKE STOLEN! My baby :( Oh...I cursed in front of my grandfather & just cried! Needless to say my grandfather & I ended up riding the race but only to mile 60 because he crashed & broke a part on his bike. This year we didn't ride well...simply because we have ridden maybe 10 miles in a year....yeah not ready for 100!

We found out on this trip that one of our good friends in Dallas has brain cancer & has a very short period to live. My fiance goes back to visit him (& help his old boss out a little bit) for 2 wks. Of course, I get tendinitis in my RIGHT wrist while he was gone. & I didn't know, had to go to the doctor to find out...joys $450 down the drain! :(

Oh what a learning experience...people keep asking us "have you done this yet", "what about this", "have you..." & etc.... really? We are trying to keep sane... while having a list of a billion things on our priority list! & trying to keep his grandfather happy, healthy, & safe!

I've been doing a lot of reading on Alzheimer's & sundowners obviously. Trying to learn how to "prevent" issues. Next blog will be more on some of the Alzheimer's stories...oh this will be good!

Happy Halloween!!