Dear Bob, Life has a habit of sneaking up on us with the darndest surprises--some bad, some good. It all seems to balance out eventually although this one can knock a person off their feet temporally I know-------I lived with Alzheimer's for about 7 years. My husband was gradually unable to remember familiar things, people and places but he stayed the sweet, pleasant person he had always been and for this I am grateful. He was ever loving and kind and even when we became strangers he treated us, as he treated everyone with the same consideration. It used to anger me when they criticized Pres. Reagan for saying "I can't remember." Of course he couldn't remember. My Jim couldn't remember, I'm sure he was frustrated, and yet he was the same sweet husband, father and grandfather------brother, neighbor, and great grandfather he had always been. He was a marvelous example to everyone just as you are, Bob, sharing all of your years of learning with those of us who try to absorb as much as possible. I've just come out of a nursing home, I appreciate life even more now. I just lost an eye----but I have another one. I REALLY appreciate the Lord's kindness in giving me two of them. My Armstrong G-G-Grandfather lived 100 years from 1721 to 1821. This he accomplished back when life expectancy was 37 years for men. As everyone says, we are certainly tough old birds! Marilynn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Armstrong" <robertarm9@yahoo.com> To: <armstrong@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 2:42 PM Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG] A new me? > Dear Robyn, > Thank you so much for your kind words. Nita and I are now living with my > eldest son and his family. Charles has a very big house, and we have lots > of room. I get to talk to the kids every day, and I am teaching them about > investing. They get a share of Western Union stock, for every "A" they get > on their report cards. They are so smart that they will probably send me > to the poor house. I also play chess with my Grandson. He is a pretty good > player. Hopefully I will hang on long enought to see him skunk > me. > Very sincerely, > Bob Armstrong > in Houston, TX > > > > --- On Mon, 6/9/08, Robyn Leeds <robyn@robsfamily.com> wrote: > > From: Robyn Leeds <robyn@robsfamily.com> > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG] A new me? > To: armstrong@rootsweb.com > Date: Monday, June 9, 2008, 5:51 PM > > " want to be important in the lives of my grandchildren." > > Hi Bob :) > > Do you not realise that you've not only been important in the lives of > your > children, and your grandchildren, but to all of us here? Many a day I've > been cheered up immensely by one of your posts, and on some days you've > turned my day around for the better, and I'll always be eternally grateful > to you for those days!! :D > > Alzheimer's is a nasty disease, and I've seen far too much of it in my > own lifetime. My biological Grandfather had it, but was never diagnosed > as > such because it wasn't called Alzheimer's back in those days. It was > just called "senility" and he was locked away in a mental > institution. I never met him, but from reading his medical records (which > the > Health Department in Tasmania, Australia very kindly sent to me) I came to > know > and love him as if he'd been in my life, whereas he died before I was > born. > My biological father died of an aneurism in his stomach, despite the fact > that > he had angina and emphasema (sp?), and he also had early stage > Alzheimer's. > My adopted mother (Reita May Eastley, sister of my bio father, and wife of > Norman John Bynon who is my Armstrong connection) was also diagnosed with > Alzheimer's at the "ripe old age" of about 53. She'd had > varicose veins removed and had a nasty reaction to the anaesthetic they > gave > her, and the doctors believed that was! > what triggered her off at such a young age. I watched her go downhill > slowly, caring for her as much as possible despite the fact that I was > pregnant > with my 18yo daughter Jade, while Dad continued to work. It was > heartbreaking > to watch her deteriorate, but if I had to do it again, I would!!! She > held > Jade in her arms a week after she was born and she didn't even know she > was > holding a baby, much less her Granddaughter. I think that was what hit me > the > hardest!!! :( > > Despite the sadness of watching family suffer through Alzheimer's, and > knowing that I too probably have Alzheimer's genes, I still have one happy > memory of Mum the night before she died. I'd gone to Greenvale Nursing > Home to visit her while she was very ill with pneumonia. She'd not shown > any sign of recognition when she'd seen me for some time. That last night > I bent down to kiss her goodbye after our visit and I whispered into her > ear > "Mum, I'm pregnant with your first Grandson!". I didn't know > Casey was a boy, it was mother's intuition I guess! ;D Mum looked at me, > actually LOOKED at me, for the first time in well over a year. That > memory > still warms my heart to this day, knowing that when Mum died about 10 > hours > later, she knew I was going to give birth to her first Grandson!! :D > > Chin up Bob, they're making huge breakthroughs with a lot of diseases and > illnesses these days, and I for one have made a few donations to the > Alzheimer's Association in the hope they'll come up with a cure, or a > way of stopping its progression, before I myself start to show signs. > Hopefully it'll be in time for both of us! :D > > Take care, > > Robyn. > IBSSG > Stockbridge, Georgia, USA > Honey's Home of Genealogy > www.robsfamily.com > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARMSTRONG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARMSTRONG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. 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