A nice ending to Mike's story.

Mike posted under 'musings' on the Alzheimer's message boards. To tell us he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He told everybody how he feels. And I think that took courage. Lots of courage. Mike is a well-educated man. A trial lawyer. He's taking deep breaths these days. He's gonna try to make the best of it. And I'm in his corner. We need more of his kind in this world.

Look at it this way, I told Mike. You could have dropped dead yesterday. Instead, you're very much alive. And still quite with it. Mentally. And physically. But you have no guarantee that you won't be dead tomorrow. So, live today. To the fullest. Savor the day. I'd also suggest that you remind yourself that you're in love. With life. And maybe with a few people near and dear to you. Love 'em more than ever. That might be the best way to live your remaining days. It might prompt those others, too, to love you more than ever. To appreciate you today. Think about your fate, too. What if the Creator gave you a choice? You could die suddenly of a stroke or heart attack or in a traffic accident or a plane crash. Or, instead, your life could be extended for several more years. And you'll fade away gradually. In a sense, you'll eventually lose your mind. But you'll still have some reasonably functioning time, maybe even years. Hard to say. I had my Jeanne for 13 years after the onset of Alzheimer's. She was functional to some degree right up to the end. I'm grateful for that. I think Jeanne chose to live as long as she did. Maybe because she loved life. But I know one thing. That time worked for me. I learned to love Jeanne more than ever. And maybe even someone around you will learn to love you more than ever, Mike. That would be a nice ending to your story. To your life. --Jim Broede