FAMILY

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

Friday, August 24, 2018

August Update ๐Ÿ’œ

This month has flown by! I had to look at my past blogs to figure out when I blogged last and what I said ๐Ÿ˜ It has been a great month and I appreciate your support for the WEGO Health Award nominations. I'm not sure what's next but your support and endorsement is much appreciated. There are many many wonderful nominees so I am not expecting to win. And that's ok with me, to be nominated is an honor and I am very grateful for the recognition.


Pam & Jeff at Sideboard
August started with an amazing lunch with a good friend from Intel! Jeff Trapaldi and I have known each other for a while and ran into each other a few weeks earlier at a local restaurant in Danville. He was kind enough to ask to have lunch with me so that we could catch up. It was wonderful and he's such a good man. Thank you Jeff for making time to see me and for your support during my journey of living with Alzheimer's.

That same week Bob and I flew to San Diego for a celebration of life for a dear friend Ash Hayes. He and his wife Juanita have always been special to us and we made sure that we could be there for his event. It was very emotional and the military color guard was there to present Juanita with a flag. Ash worked in Washington DC for a while and was in charge of the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness. Bob and I met him when he was working with the CSU system and we became close friends rather quickly. He was a kind, loving man and a true gentleman. He will be missed but he lived 94 amazing years on this earth and touched thousands of people. Rest in Peace Ash๐Ÿ™

We also were very excited to have breakfast the day after the service with Leo Cullina and his wife Mary! Leo used to work for me when I ran the Healthcare Team. I don't remember how many years ago that was, and Leo is not at Intel anymore but we picked up as if it was yesterday. It was so wonderful to see him. My only regret is we didn't have enough time together, and we forgot to take a picture!

I also saw my sister and my girlfriend Andi this month and we had a great time at lunch and did some shopping at Stoneridge in Pleasanton. Later that day I took an Uber over to Kristen's new house. It's so big and beautiful and I'm so happy that she is a first time home owner! We had a great time unpacking and shopping and trying to get things all set up.


Barry Bonds -AT&T Park
One of the highlights of the month was our weekend in San Francisco to attend the retirement of Barry Bonds number! Only 6/10th of one percent of players get their number retired! and He is one of them. I'm so glad we could be there๐Ÿ˜Š

He's always been one of our favorite players and is such a great guy. I had the
Pam & Barry -Harding Park
pleasure of playing golf with him several years ago at Harding Park and he was such a gentleman and so helpful. I was overcome with emotion when I realized he was in our four some and could barely hit the ball! I remember he walked down the fairway with me and tried to help me. At the end of the round there was a big event and there were several other professional athletes there. But before he left he made a point to find me, and the rest of the folks on our team to say goodbye. My boss at the time, Scott Harrison is also huge Giants fan and we both remember almost every detail of that day. Congrats to Barry! He certainly deserves the praise he got and I really hope he is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame soon!



At Les Mis!
The following weekend Kristen and I went to see Les Miserables at the Orphum in San Francisco. Her birthday is in March and this was her present, even though it was a few months late. We had seen the musical together before, many years ago on her college graduation trip to London. I really don't remember what year it was. But I do remember seeing Les Mis there too and both of us loved it! I don't think I will ever get tired of the music. I could listen to it all day long. 

Infusion #16 was uneventful and even though we were at UCSF for most of the day I survived. Bob was out of town so Kristen went with me and she was able to work while I rested and got my infusion. My Katy Perry shoes were a huge hit on social media and my friend Monica gets all the credit for that! They were a gift from her๐Ÿ˜Š 
Infusion #16 Roche Trial


Later that night we attended the Alzheimer's Assoc East Bay Walk event. My niece Monica was there with her darling daughter and I was so happy to see them! And even though I was tired from my infusion I spoke at the end of the event (cried a little) and asked everyone to please get involved, form a team, and raise a lot of money for research and programs!! It was a long day but supporting them is important to me. They have been a bright light as I go down this journey of living well with Alzheimer's.

So that's what my month has looked like! Pretty busy most days but I also find myself with no plans and nothing to do on some days. Today my friend and mentee Rebecca is coming over with her cute baby and that will be amazing! I can't wait to see how much he's grown since the last time I saw him. Babies are the best medicine to cheer you up and make you smile๐Ÿ‘ถ

It was a busy month and the fun continues next week with a few days in San Luis Obispo with Bob and some time at the Spa with a very dear friend who lives there. I can't wait!!

Thank you for your support. Thank you for reading my blogs and for your comments and feedback. I found out a few days ago how important they were to some of the folks I met. I promise to continue to share my story and my journey for as long as I can. It's helpful for me too! That way I can look back and see what happened in my life and how things have changed.

Have a great weekend and God bless you always๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ™





Wednesday, August 15, 2018

WEGO Health Award nomination ๐Ÿ’–

Hi everyone! I was nominating for a 2018 WEGO Health Award in the categories of ‘Patient Leader’ & 'Advocating for Another'!!

I don't know how this happened but I am thrilled. They nominated me for all the work  I’ve been doing to reduce the stigma, advocate for research & share my story with others who are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

The WEGO Health Award program was created to recognize and honor those making a difference in the online health community. It provides the opportunity for community members to thank and support the Patient Leaders they admire.

I am honored to have been nominated! They have asked me to share my nomination so that others can endorse my work and support me. I’m adding the link here for all of you๐Ÿ˜€ 

Please share with your friends and family too if you are able. I think they choose the finalists based on the number of endorsements they get.

Thank you in advance for your support ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป Over the past two years there have been good days and bad days, but the support, love & prayers from all of you lift me up and keep me going๐Ÿ’œ

The deadline to endorse me is August 17th! I really appreciate your support.
https://awards.wegohealth.com/nominees/15905