So today is the 1^st of January 2021. I’m starting this year by creating a blog, or web page or whatever you call it to talk about and document my experiences going forward related my mental health. You see my mother has had Alzheimer’s for about 7-8 years, that is exhibited definite gradual loss of cognizant ability. She has been in a nursing home in Napa Ca for about 4-5 years.  I was able to see her once this year through the window with my big sister for about 30 minutes or so when my adoptive father passed away in October. If you are not familiar with the severity of this disease, I can tell you is it horrible, absolutely horrible! My mother has no real ability to communicate, she doesn’t go outside the facility she is in, she has to be hand fed, bathed by others. She is confined to a wheelchair when she is not in bed, not because she cannot walk, in fact the opposite, she is a flight risk, so there is a monitor attached to her and the wheelchair, if she leaves the chair, alarms sound like a jail break is in progress and people come for her. Mom is 82 and watching her decline over the past few years has been pretty tough for me, but I know it is even tougher on my older sister and her family who live in Napa and have borne the brunt of her care since this journey began.

My approach is going to try and document when things happen in my daily life that give me pause, and wonder is this it?  My hope is that some geniuses in the future (maybe yours or my grandkids) can use the data to help with early detection and treatment in the future.