Reason to keep the faith.

Just a reminder. There is life after Alzheimer’s care-giving. Good life. That’s why I stick around.  On the Alzheimer's message boards. To give encouragement. To care-givers. To exude good vibes. I pulled through. By reminding myself. That  I was the lucky one. To be the care-giver. Much better than being the Alzheimer-riddled one.  I also learned. Before it was too late. To get respite. That 24/7 is impossible. Prohibitive. Absurd. Self-destructive. Ten hours a day. With Jeanne. Was more than sufficient. Made me a far better care-giver than when I was on 24/7. Put the emphasis on quality. Not quantity. Jeanne’s demeanor changed for the better. When I was rested enough. To take proper care of Jeanne.  Every day. Without miss. For the last 38 months. My 24/7 stint wasn’t always proper. There were lapses into bad vibes. Seems to me that not even a saint can hold up over a steady 24/7 grind. Anyway,  Alzheimer’s was a blessing. Met my Italian amore Cristina. On the message boards. Her mother had Alzheimer’s. Six months after Jeanne died. Cristina and I met. In Venice. Then spent weeks together. In the Italian Alps.  We go back and forth. I go to Sardinia. Cristina comes to Minnesota. Often we meet. In exotic places. Travel together.  In Germany. Italy. Scotland. Iceland. The Grand Canyon. Yellowstone. We are together. Daily. If not in the flesh.  It’s by video. On Skype.  Once upon a time, I would have judged Alzheimer’s to be a bad experience. Now I know better. The ‘bad’ often evolves into good. Yes, the very good life. Full of love. Imagine that. I’ve been twice blessed. Two loves. In a lifetime.  Reason to keep the faith. --Jim Broede