Hey Everyone,
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been pretty busy preparing for Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen and Sylacauga Darlin' Devil Majorette Tryouts. Tryouts were yesterday and guess what? I made it! I am now a majorette! One reason why this is so important to me is because my Nana was a Sylacauga Majorette too. So was my aunt. AND my other grandmother. haha. So it was a pretty big deal when I made it in my opinion. I wanted to talk to my Nana about her experiences with being a majorette. But I can't. Alzheimer's took that priveledge away from me.
Today is my Nana's birthday. She had no idea that she turned 65 today.
My aunt had her birthday this week too.
My Nana didn't know her own daughters birthday.
We gave my Nana presents today. Someone had to direct her how to open a present. A PRESENT. Now I bet your'e thinking that is something you'll NEVER forget how to do.... believe me. I am too...
She didn't know how to open the card.. and once someone opened it for her and asked if she could read it, she replied "I know how. I'm not stupid." She couldn't read it. and We know she's not stupid. It's this stupid disease that's stupid. Now I'm not going to pretend that it doesnt bother me. Or make me mad. Or frustrated, because it does. It makes me want to cry. And to be honest,
sometimes it does.
Imagine this for me..
There you are, trying to write a letter to your best friend. Not knowing how to hold a pen or just simply write an A. You search your mind, just trying, reaching, searching for that memory of how to write an A. It's not coming to you. You give up.
Reading becomes worse than a kid with dyslexia trying to read a book.
I mentioned how it makes me frustrated and mad. Yeah. It does.
Believe me, I love my Nana. I love her soooo much. So, I guess I'm not really frustrated at her.. I know she doesn't forget on purpose. It's just hard to accept.. really hard.
This stupid, idiotic, life ruining disease. Well. It ruined everything.
I used to remember when I first started competing in pageants how I used to think this one thought before every one. I used to pray. hard.
I used to think about how I wished I could win one pageant, just ONE, before my Nana forgot me. So that I could see her expression, and hear what she would say to me. To get that genuine hug. To know for sure that she was extremely proud of me.
Well, that didn't happen.
I was too late.
I tried my hardest, but it wasn't good enough..
I know she would be proud of me. I know that now. She would've been one of the first ones to give me the biggest hug and remind me of how proud she was.
Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death.
It gets the lease amount of funding for research. Alzheimer’s is the only top 10 cause of death without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression. Now, hearing that, I STRONGLY believe that it should get more funding for a cure. I. WANT. MY. NANA. BACK. and that won't happen..
5.3 million people have Alzheimer's. One of these is my Nana.
$172 billion in annual costs.
6th leading cause of death.
10.9 million UNPAID caregivers. One of these is my Grandmother.
The National Institutes of Health spends over $6 billion a year on cancer research, over $4 billion on heart disease research and over $3 billion on HIV/AIDS research. But it spends only $480 million on Alzheimer research.
Now with the information given, I'm a firm believer that there should be more funding on research.
What do you think?
I would love to know. Remember, I'm always here to talk to. I'll answer any questions to the best of my ability, and I've been told that I'm an excellent listener.
One website that everyone should check out for more information-
http://www.alz.org/
GO CHECK IT OUT! & sign up for their e-mails!
Thanks y'all-
Makenzie
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
February 4, 2011-First Post Day
Hey Everyone!
This is my first post on Love Always Remembers-Alzheimer's Support Blog, so I guess I can say a little about myself so that who ever follows this blog will realize that I am a real person with real feelings and what-not.
First off, My name is Makenzie and I am 14 years old. I play piano, twirl batons, and love love LOVE to read. (Don't tell anyone, but I actually really like school too. haha.) I also am involved in the Miss America's Oustanding Teen Pageants. Now, before you go and think, "Oh, she's that cliche pageant girl type." Well, I'm actually not. I am in this pageant system for more than just winning a crown. One of my main reasons is to promote my platform, "Don't Forget How To Remember"-A Fight for a Cure for Alzheimer's. I created this page as a support group for people having a hard time coping with the realization that their family member or friend has Alzheimer's. I know I needed something like this.
Alzheimer's. One big scary word, isn't it? Forgetting your husband. Forgetting to eat. Forgetting to use the bathroom. Forgetting HOW to use the bathroom. Forgetting your wedding day. The birth of your child. Your first kiss. Your brothers and sisters. Forgetting your daughter, son, grandchild, bestfriend, etc. It's horrific. AND its real. You can't wake up from this nightmare. As of today, there is no cure.
Now you must be thinking, why in the WORLD would a 14 year old teenage girl want to promote this? This probably doesnt even affect her.
Well it might not in the sense that you think it does. But it affects someone who I love very dearly.
My Nana.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's almost two years ago. It has hit our family hard.
My grandmother, who loved her family. Who would do anything in the world for us. Who quit smoking just because I was born. Who when I wrecked a Polaris Ranger on top of me, helped get it off of me.
That's my Nana.
She was such a loving person.
And now she doesn't remember any of that. She doesn't remember any of us.
Just the other day, she asked where she knew me from. I stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say. I could barely squeak out, "Makenzie, your granddaughter."
You know what she replied? "Oh, it's just because you've grown so much!"
This summer, we were school clothes shopping. She came up to me and asked me where I was going to go to college this next year. I'm in 9th grade.
Well enough of my stories. The reason I created this page was for all of us family members and friends of a loved one affected with Alzheimer's to be able to talk about our feelings and hopefully gain support and trust from someone else who's dealing with the same thing. Hopefully I can be a guiding light to someone. I pray that I can be that.
So NOW it's your turn. I would love to hear your stories. How has this disease affected you? How are you coping with it?
I pray that one day, every single person will realize how harmful this disease is.
I hope that by reading my trials and struggles and with my posts on new Alzheimer's research, you can find refuge.
I ask one thing, help promote this page. I want everyone to know about it.
I'm here for you, and hopefully after you read my posts for the next years to come, you will realize that you are NOT ALONE.
Thanks y'all-
Makenzie :)
This is my first post on Love Always Remembers-Alzheimer's Support Blog, so I guess I can say a little about myself so that who ever follows this blog will realize that I am a real person with real feelings and what-not.
First off, My name is Makenzie and I am 14 years old. I play piano, twirl batons, and love love LOVE to read. (Don't tell anyone, but I actually really like school too. haha.) I also am involved in the Miss America's Oustanding Teen Pageants. Now, before you go and think, "Oh, she's that cliche pageant girl type." Well, I'm actually not. I am in this pageant system for more than just winning a crown. One of my main reasons is to promote my platform, "Don't Forget How To Remember"-A Fight for a Cure for Alzheimer's. I created this page as a support group for people having a hard time coping with the realization that their family member or friend has Alzheimer's. I know I needed something like this.
Alzheimer's. One big scary word, isn't it? Forgetting your husband. Forgetting to eat. Forgetting to use the bathroom. Forgetting HOW to use the bathroom. Forgetting your wedding day. The birth of your child. Your first kiss. Your brothers and sisters. Forgetting your daughter, son, grandchild, bestfriend, etc. It's horrific. AND its real. You can't wake up from this nightmare. As of today, there is no cure.
Now you must be thinking, why in the WORLD would a 14 year old teenage girl want to promote this? This probably doesnt even affect her.
Well it might not in the sense that you think it does. But it affects someone who I love very dearly.
My Nana.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's almost two years ago. It has hit our family hard.
My grandmother, who loved her family. Who would do anything in the world for us. Who quit smoking just because I was born. Who when I wrecked a Polaris Ranger on top of me, helped get it off of me.
That's my Nana.
She was such a loving person.
And now she doesn't remember any of that. She doesn't remember any of us.
Just the other day, she asked where she knew me from. I stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say. I could barely squeak out, "Makenzie, your granddaughter."
You know what she replied? "Oh, it's just because you've grown so much!"
This summer, we were school clothes shopping. She came up to me and asked me where I was going to go to college this next year. I'm in 9th grade.
Well enough of my stories. The reason I created this page was for all of us family members and friends of a loved one affected with Alzheimer's to be able to talk about our feelings and hopefully gain support and trust from someone else who's dealing with the same thing. Hopefully I can be a guiding light to someone. I pray that I can be that.
So NOW it's your turn. I would love to hear your stories. How has this disease affected you? How are you coping with it?
I pray that one day, every single person will realize how harmful this disease is.
I hope that by reading my trials and struggles and with my posts on new Alzheimer's research, you can find refuge.
I ask one thing, help promote this page. I want everyone to know about it.
I'm here for you, and hopefully after you read my posts for the next years to come, you will realize that you are NOT ALONE.
Thanks y'all-
Makenzie :)
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