Information and opinions on Alzheimer's from Teri Bailey at OurAlzheimers.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/44620/placement Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:27:17 -0000 Teri Bailey As I re-read my shareposts written over a year ago, I cannot believe that life has changed so radically for me and for Dick this first year of his placement in a small board and care home.  Placing one's parents is one thing, but placing one's spouse is quite another --- I speak from experience on both sides.  I thought that I would always take care of Dick at home -- it seemed the right thing to do; however, as his disease progressed... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/44620/placement http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/44499/life-placement Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:45:21 -0000 Teri Bailey Time flies -- it certainly does!  Last year I was agonizing over placing Dick in a small board and care home, then slowly adjusting, and now I am in a new world.  Dick's loving caregivers have given me the gift of a life of loving my husband and yet not worrying about him on an hourly or even daily basis.  The gift they have given me cannot possibly be computed in dollars because no amount of money can buy peace of mind, and that... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/44499/life-placement http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/18383/gift-placement Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:21:00 -0000 Teri Bailey In August I was agonizing over placing my husband in a small board and care home; now in December I am rejoicing over my decision to do just that.  The months of adjustment are over for both of us --- actually, for Dick, it was an easy adjustment --- for me, not quite so.  But here we are about to move into 2008 -- twelve years into this disease for my husband, and life is better for both of us.  For Dick, the regular daily... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/18383/gift-placement http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/12336/working-issue Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:28:00 -0000 Teri Bailey My husband is gone in almost every conceivable way, and yet I find myself wanting to hang on to the last little bit of him even though I know now that it might not be in his best interests.  I know if it were me, I would want him to stay involved with me and yet still have the time and opportunity to get on with his life.  And in conversations I had with him at the time both his father and my mother were living with the disease, I know... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/12336/working-issue http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/12165/agony-placement Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:25:00 -0000 Teri Bailey I've been wrestling with the issue of placing my husband in a small board and care for quite some time, but now that the reality is upon me, I find myself on an emotional roller coaster of both guilt and reality.  The guilt comes from this insane belief that I SHOULD care for him at home as long as I can possibly manage.  The reality comes from a selfish pace, I suppose:  I want more of my life back.  I didn't fully... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/12165/agony-placement http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/11029/success Wed, 04 Jul 2007 03:41:00 -0000 Teri Bailey Perhaps I should have taken the advice given about the trip to Colorado after all.  I can't say that the trip was a total disaster, but Dick did not enjoy it as much as I thought he would.  Many times during our driving days he would look at me and ask, "Where's my wife?"  At first I answered by saying that I was Teri, his wife, but that elicited a furious reaction, one that lasted for hours.  Later I started saying... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/11029/success http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/10193/transitions Thu, 07 Jun 2007 01:25:00 -0000 Teri Bailey A few weeks ago, I did what people in the business of knowing about Alzheimer's told me not to do:  I took Dick on a trip up to Oregon in our motorhome.  My reasoning revolved around the fact he loves to be out and about when we are home, so why not try a longer out and about? There are lots of reasons, I suppose, but, lucky for me, I was right about this particular decision. In fact, taking care of our dog proved to be the... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/10193/transitions http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/8620/making-sick Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:16:00 -0000 Teri Bailey Seriously now --- when I read over my recent journals, I really do make myself sick---- sick of me!  Gratefulness for what I have in life does not live in those journals --- rather, I sound like the biggest whiner in the world.  The truth of the matter is that while I do indeed have issues to deal with, what I really have is a most amazing life -- one to reflect upon and one to live right now at this very moment.  Yes... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/8620/making-sick http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/8600/travelers Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:53:00 -0000 Teri Bailey When I was younger and Dick was healthy, we thought we were the masters of our fate.  How utterly naive!  We planned to continue the traveling that we started at a young age --- oh, the places we would see!  Because we were both teachers, we always had those glorious weeks at Christmas, Easter, and summer breaks.  We long ago decided to take advantage of our free time by filling it with travel with our children, friends... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/8600/travelers http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/8393/placement-issue Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:01:00 -0000 Teri Bailey My family is worried about me.  They know of Dick's infrequent angry and aggressive moods and fear for my safety and thus are all in agreement that the time for placement is now.  I don't want to be in denial about this because truly, those moods are becoming more frequent, but I still honestly believe that the time is not now.  Caring for my husband is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, and while I understand... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/3712/8393/placement-issue