Long live Ron!

Alzheimer-riddled Ron isn’t as riddled as he used to be. Indeed, an incredible achievement. Oh, Ron still has Alzheimer’s. And eventually it’ll claim his life. But Ron is getting better. In terms of quality of life. Because he’s getting better treatment. More humane care. More one-on-one physical and mental interaction and stimulation. From his care-givers. Used to be that Ron was in an institutional-type nursing home.  Now he’s in a five-bed residential care center. Staffed most of the time by four young nursing students. Makes Ron feel like he’s part of a family. In terms of treatment and setting. Ron’s daughter and son-in-law brought him home for Thanksgiving dinner. I was there, too. And it was wonderful. To see my friend Ron. And the dynamic gains he’s made. He’s happy. Contented. Talkative. Albeit, some of it gibberish. But he gets the gist of what’s going on. And man oh man, does he ever have an appetite. He downed two platefuls of Thanksgiving fare. Little wonder that Ron has put on six pounds in recent weeks. A real plus. Because he was looking gaunt after recovering from a broken neck. Sustained in a fall last summer. Which was reported here. The fracture was fused together. At the time, I thought that maybe Ron would be better off dead than alive. My mistake. Ron is a medical marvel. He has an innate sense for life. At age 86. I begin to wonder. If he might hang in for a few more years. Of course, he’s not the Ron that once was. An inventor/scientist at 3M Co. But he’s still got an amiable glint in his eyes.. Still able to salvage meaningful stuff. From life. He’s an inspiration. To family and friends. Long live Ron! –Jim Broede