Celebrating A Life With Alzheimer's

I found this touching letter written by a man battling Alzheimer's.  The author's son submitted the letter, which was written by his father nearly 10 years ago at the onset of the disease.

...if I fight it and think positively maybe I can conquer this Alzheimer fellow . It would be a pleasure to laugh at him and say goodbye. Think of what you have achieved in the past years and these thoughts will help. You have raised children, and they have loved you and you are so fortunate. Appreciate what you have. You have to be strong, I realize, but you can do it! I volunteer at two hospitals and enjoy taking people to their destinations in the hospital. I sometimes (actually quite often) joke with them. As I am leading patients upstairs, I will humour them a bit by telling them "I am taking you first to Las Vegas" and then we will go up in the elevator. They always laugh and say, "Oh please!" It makes them feel good and I feel good also. Another casualty of the fiendish Mr. Alzheimer is the family. My family takes good care of me but sometimes I feel they are at fault because they are being overprotective. They mean well but it makes me feel like a nothing. In my case, I am on the borderline of Alzheimer’s. I say this because, I am not that bad. I forget names, that is all! I was advised not to drive but I still feel that I can drive better than all the hot-shots on the road to-day. I have not seen the statistics of my condition and on my next visit to my doctor I will ask him to show me the results of my tests. I still play a great game of tennis, I bowl and do all the normal other things that people do, and yet I have this Alzheimer’s’ stigma. Maybe if they (whoever they may be) could live with me and see how I act daily I wouldn't be put in this category.

To read the entire piece, check out The Birthdays Continue Despite Alzheimer's Disease.   It will make you smile.