today he would have been 64
he was struck down too soon
by
the devastating effects of alzheimers disease
having been diagnosed with it in his early 50s
too young much too young everyone said
we are making strides in alzheimers treatments
there are lots of new potential game changing ones
on the horizon
they are too late for him
probably too late for me
too late for my recently diagnosed older brother
i read this morning an article where they are finding
the bad stuff the amyloid in folks as young as the early 20s
so
the treatment and preventative measures may have to be
started younger than we realize
my younger brother was struck at the peak of his career
now he had retired as a fireman captain
and
was working as a deputy sheriff
going strong every day
working and enjoying life
hunting and his grandkids
i know they really miss him a lot
as ive written before
everyone remembers him for his smile
and
his blue eyes
i carry it around all the time when im working here at
the country n
turning my water valves on and off to my garden and landscape
im reminded of him every day that i use this wrench
it hangs in the kitchen with all our keys
i pause for a minute every time i see the wrench
and
think of him
and
like him i smile
yes like him i have blue eyes
his illness and death bothered me a lot
i think
because it seems i was looking in a mirror when i saw him
as he progressed
my last visit with him a few weeks before he died was especially
bothersome
knowing that this could be me in a few years
our family had seen this before
he had too
does that make it worse
i realize that his kids and grandkids
and
my kids and my future grandchildren
may be spared all this if research ongoing now
works to stop or slow down the disease
i think he would accept that
i know i do
we just realize we were born a generation too late
so
yes ill think of him all day today
and
his wife
his kids
his grandkids
a real nice friendly likable guy he was
we all miss him
the organicgreen doctor
So sorry to hear of your loss, especially with the cause so personal.
ReplyDeleteI thought of Joe today too. After Joe was diagnosed and he came home, he spent a lot of time with my Dad at the shop on the farm. I think he liked the peace of the farm and Dad enjoyed Joe's company. Joe always carried this cell phone with him in case the wife needed him. The cell phone become a common question & answer game and quote between the two gentleman. When Joe would leave the shop each day, Dad would ask Joe, " Do you have your cell phone with you? and Joe would answer and say, "Right next to my heart where she has always been."(Talking not about the phone itself but about his wife) Then he would grin and get on the gator and head home.. Strange how much you miss this answer and quote game. Dad still misses him and so do we.
ReplyDeleteLinda Nash