Cindy's Life Updates with Frontotemporal Dementia

Fishing Trip in Jackson Hole

October 03, 2014

Paul and I took my mom out fishing while on our vacation in Jackson Hole this summer. We fished at the Jackson Dam. We bought a 2 day fishing license.

My mom used all of her skills from when she was young, fishing with her dad. We didn't need to show her what to do. She already knew. She threw out her line really far and had fun reeling in her line. It was fun to watch her have fun fishing and enjoying the beauty that was surrounding us. She caught a few fish, but they got away before she could fully reel them in. It was windy and her line would snag a lot. We would help her unsnag the line.

This was one of our fun activities we were able to do together while away.

I think the pictures says it all! No other words are really needed!

Quotes

Two Mothers Remembered - A Poem

September 30, 2014

All is going well. My mom is still happy. I don't really have any other words for today, but this poem will sum up my words for me.

It Is What It Is

September 12, 2014

I feel inspired today to share with you a short video that has been recommended to us to share with our family and friends at our FTD support group.

This video shares the life of 4 different families that are living with Frontotemporal Dementia. This is just a short example of what FTD does.

Please watch! I would love to spread the awareness of Frontotemporal Dementia! Everyone knows the words dementia and alzheimers, but they do not know the extent of frontotemporal dementia. It is so much more then just losing memory or forgetting things.

Please help me spread the word about Frontotemporal Dementia and share with the share options below!

Thank you for your support!

Nails in Our Path

September 11, 2014

Sometimes in life you will get to a point where you feel like you are getting nailed by every obstacle there is laying in front of you. You will feel like there is one thing after another being thrown in front of you.

Never give up. That is the growing and learning process to make you stronger. I remember times in my life growing up. My high school years specifically. I remember just thinking I had to much to handle and I didn't understand why. Why were these things lying in front of me and being an obstacle in my path? I see my path so much clearer now and know that those experiences taught me so much and also taught me to be a stronger person. I could never do what I do now without those experiences.

A few days or week ago, I had noticed that a back tire had been getting low on my mom's car. I had been so busy and Paul had been so busy so by the time I'd see Paul I would forget to mention anything about the tire. Days had passed, and I had driven the car all over, and even on the freeway several times.

Paul was outside yesterday with his brother and they noticed a nail in the tire. I finally thought to myself "no wonder, why the tire had been so low and was still low".

There will be nails in our path of life that will slow us down. We will go right through the nails because we won't see the nails approaching and they may get stuck to us for awhile, but eventually we will repair the problem and continue on our way! We must never let the nails slow us down or stop!

Paul was nice to fix the tire today and it did not slow us down one bit! I must say that I am so grateful that we were watched over while driving so much and the nail still held some air in the tire! Blessings do happen!

Thank you, Paul for all of your help!

Talented Writer Award Goes To Cindy

September 07, 2014

One of my mom's special gifts and talents has always been to express herself in beautiful writing. She wrote cards to people like no one else would or could. I'm sure anyone and everyone who knows her closely has received a card, letter, or e-mail and knows what I am talking about. She loved to write and knew how to, creatively, letting you know that she cared, was thankful, and loved you.

I find cards and notes that I have from her and they make me smile. No one else knows how to write quite like her.

I believe my mom was able to write this way up until a year ago or so. Slowly, her mind has slipped away.

I helped my mom write a letter and card to her friend last week.

I had to help get the card and paper out & encourage her to write. I helped my mom and told my mom what to write. I felt like it was, as if, I was writing the letter, and it definitely was not her writing it in her creative way. That made me sad.

When she was finished writing what I told her to write, she would look at me when she was done, and wait for me to tell her the next sentence to write.

It really opens up my eyes, when I see someone who's talent was to write and they don't even know how to END a letter or card anymore. She just wrote word for word what I told her to. That moment, I just wished that I could go back in time, into her head, and help her write word for word what she would write herself. She did put a squiggly line under her name herself. She looked up at me, smiled, and shrugged her shoulders about her new signature. She also drew a heart and smiled about that.

I just smiled after though and knew it was great for her to write and she felt good about herself that she wrote & sent a letter to her friend.

This experience in my life has opened up my eyes. It makes me more thankful and more humble for the little things. I think I have always been thankful, but I feel more thankful than ever before! I am thankful to have this experience with my mom. She is teaching me now, in this moment, more heart felt lessons now in life, that I will forever be grateful for.

I am thankful, at this moment, that she is still able to pick up a pen and write.

She may not be able to pick up a pen and write a letter herself. She may not be able to spell some words and might ask me how to spell things. She may not be able to send a text or e-mail because it is to overwhelming or she doesn't have internet service at home. She may not be able to come up with words. She may not know some words anymore and only knows how to describe them in a funny simple way, without knowing the actual name of the word. ( For example: a nail is a long metal thing to her.

It is all about the SIMPLE THINGS in life!

I am thankful for the SIMPLE positive THINGS in our life right now!

Fun in the Car - A Random Photography Day

August 30, 2014

Today we went for a spin in Grandpa Stewart's red Mirage car.

My mom had her camera packed in her purse and needed a reminder to pull her camera out. I told her a few days ago that she should take her camera with her to take pictures, but we hadn't gotten around to taking pictures.

I told her today to whip that camera out and to become a photographer. She had a lot of fun as the photographer.

Here are some pictures of our drive to the store to buy bird seed for the birds at my mom's house (she LOVES feeding the birds), and driving over to my house to watch some movies.

Yes, Lucky was with us! He was hot. My mom and Lucky stayed in the car, while I ran into the store. My mom wanted to take the bird seed to her home right away to feed the birds. We rushed the bird food home and that made my mom happy.

On the way to my house, we saw 6 motorcycle cops and a different variety of police vehicles in the driving range at the DMV. I pulled over so my mom could take some pictures. She thought this was cool to see.

We made it a fun traveling day in the car and as you can see, my mom still has her photography skills! ;)

We are living it up and we are hoping you are too! Hugs and Love to you!

The Chosen One

August 28, 2014

I saw this poem and thought this was definitely written for me.

I won't lie. Sometimes I have wondered "why, me?". Why am I the chosen one? Why am I the one with so much weight to bear? I haven't thought these things in a complaining manner. I have just wondered and pondered about it.

I have had thoughts & answers come to me that it is because no one can do it quite like I do. It is a talent that I have. One that I have been blessed with. Maybe a calling I had when coming to this earth.

This poem lifts me up. I feel carried. I thank everyone for the prayers, the calls, messages, the simple helping hand, and any simple help. I could never do this alone. It is a daunting task that is never ending. I feel the love and prayers and it is what keeps me going on to the next day, with a smile on my face.

My mom has always been there for me & I want to be there, the best that I can, for her at the time she needs my help the most.

I have prayed, cried, begged, and needed some kind of an answer the last few months. I strongly had this answer come to me, that I hold on to, and will continue to.