FAMILY

FAMILY
I fight for a cure for me & our amazing children❤️

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Fall is in the air!!

I can feel the seasons changing, especially in the morning when it's cool and crisp. At least that's what the past few days have been like. I love the cool mornings that warm up and morph into mild afternoons. Today on my walk I was chilly in the shade and warm in the sun.....a good warm, not the hot sweaty heat that we've had most of the summer here in Northern California.

I also was informed yesterday by my neurologist that walking is EXTREMELY beneficial to those with Alzheimer's. We ran into her at UCSF in the lobby of the building where I have my clinical trial infusions. As I've said before, there's no such thing as a coincidence! I love this amazing woman. She is down to earth and as brilliant as they come. She is involved in the Alzheimer's research that UCSF is doing and asked us almost immediately if we had been walking. The answer was yes, we walk quite often actually. When we asked her why, she started talking about the research that she and her colleagues have been doing regarding Alzheimer's and the effects walking has. They have found some correlation and benefit from walking, just walking, not running, not biking, not rowing or doing other cardio activity. I'm assuming it has something to do with balance and keeping upright but we didn't have time to get into anything specific.

I was happy but somewhat surprised. I started rowing a few months ago and felt like maybe I should be biking, and doing more work on the elliptical. I have been walking for years but thought maybe another form of cardio would be good for me. I am so happy with this news! It makes things easier. We can walk anywhere😊 In any country, in any weather, in any city. For some reason this is a big relief for me and that's why I'm sharing it with you. I'm also not suggesting you should follow her recommendation, I'm just putting it out there as 'food for thought' and something you might want to talk to your doctor about.

This is also Alzheimer's Walk season. We initially signed up to raise money and attend four walks. As the months wore on and our schedules got busy, we made a tough decision to only participate in two. We did four walks last year but it was the first year of my diagnosis and two of the walks were created for me by friends and co workers. I also had more energy last year and Bob was not working full time. Four is just too many now and I am relieved and happy that we made the right decision to slow down. We have a good group walking with us in Walnut Creek and are building our team down in San Luis Obispo.

I'm excited and am looking forward to both of them. I'm also extremely grateful for all the donations I've received from my friends and family. Thanks to all of you, I've raised over $6000 towards my $8000 goal for the Walnut Creek walk. And, our amazing team "Buni's Buddies" has raised almost $10,000! I'm grateful beyond words for your generosity!!

I reached another milestone this month. My blog has over 30,000 unique views! I am hopeful that those with Alzheimer's or other types of dementia are benefiting from my journey, trials and tribulations. I also hope all the caregivers and care partners out there are finding it helpful. I will keep blogging as long as I can. Sharing my story, my journey, my ups and my downs. There is no shame in this disease and I'm not afraid to talk about how difficult things are for me now.

If you would like to walk with us in Walnut Creek or donate to help us find a cure, here is the link: Buni's Buddies aka Pam's Walnut Creek Walk  No amount is too small, every dollar helps!

God bless you all. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you have a chance to walk soon, and enjoy the cooler weather.

Count your blessings and please pray for those who have been effected by the hurricanes, floods, natural disasters and the most recent earthquake in Mexico.










Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Feeling the heat🌞

Happy Monday everyone.....oh wait, it's actually Tuesday! Yesterday was Labor Day so I'm a little confused about what day it is. We were up in Sea Ranch this weekend. We rented a house that was right on the bluff and we could hear the ocean waves crashing. We normally go up there this time of year to see our Linscheid family and cousins, AND to get away from the heat. This year we had another wonderful visit with everyone but there was a heat wave and our house was hot and didn't have air conditioning. It was so hot that even late at night it was pretty warm and uncomfortable. I had a horrible time sleeping and even with medication did not fall asleep until after 2am one morning. But again there were many upsides. We had some gorgeous sunsets, we were able to sit outside for dinner without a blanket and our long walks along the ocean were lovely.
I am realizing that sleep is extremely important to me! And I'm sure it's important to all of you too. Without it I'm foggy, cranky and not very happy. Bob is so patient and he allows me to sit in silence or find a corner to read a book or knit. Thank you honey💜 I know I'm not always that great to be around or to live with. I appreciate you and know that this journey is as hard for you as it is for me.

I'm not the same person.......well, actually I am the same person but sometimes I don't recognize myself. Who is this tired, cranky, exhausted woman I see in the mirror?? I dream about the days of non stop work, conference calls, travel, meetings and time with my staff & colleagues. I miss the craziness of Intel and all the demands & AR's. I miss the staff meetings and the fun we had at lunch up in Oregon. The laughing, the drinks after work. I miss my travel buddy Mike and all the good times we had at the Embassy Suites.

But with all that said, I am OK. I am not depressed or sad, just tired. I am knitting, learning Spanish, exercising and spending time with friends and family. I also just joined the Nor Cal/Nor Nevada Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors and today I am filling out an application to be considered for the National Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors. I'm very honored to be considered and will continue to do what I can to raise money, awareness and find a cure.

So yes, our air conditioning is out and we can't get it fixed for a few days. Yes it's too hot for me to be there during the day due to a little heat wave in Northern California. Yes, I am at Starbucks and maybe that's why my mind keeps reminiscing about all my years of working. Starbucks was always a wonderful place to work while traveling and good habits die hard.

Cherish every moment my friends.......things change quickly. Be real, be present, be loving, learn to forgive, pray and don't beat yourself up. We are all doing the best we can. One day at a time, minute by minute, hour by hour.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers✝