ALZHEIMER'S BLOGGING:

Imagine this: He was born in 1926 and grew up on the south side of Chicago. He was living during the Great Depression, and only completed up to the tenth grade and than he became a soldier in the United States Army. He traveled to Europe, Berlin, and France. His batoon was to surprise Hitler, but Hitler was not there. He spent two weeks of intensive training in preparation for a beach invasion of Japan. As he traveled by ship, the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and World War II came to an end. He learned to drive a truck while stationed in the Philippines. He ended up receiving the Bronze Star Medal.

After he got out of the army, he married and had three children. He drove a truck for a living, and was a devoted husband, and father. As his children grew up they got married and he became a grandfather.

Alzheimer's is a very selfish disease. It robs you of your memory and the people you love. My father in law remembered, like it was yesterday the days of being in the army. He use to ask me why I wanted him to shoot women and children. He told me not to tell him to take a bath because in the army he didn't have to. He once fought with me about going home because he thought I was a Nazi. And his favorite saying was "I was in the war, I fought for our Country to die. But I didn't die." But he could not remember his family. He would always ask for his son, whom was taking care of him. He called me lady and could not remember that I was his daughter in law.

If you have an older parent or grandparent, talk to them. Get their history before it is to late. They have very interesting things to tell you, but once Alzheimer's hits, those days will be gone forever.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint Of James A Rock Pub., Co.
www.mariefostino.com