FAMILY

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

Monday, December 31, 2018

It’s a new year🎊

When I got home from my trip to Europe with my daughter I made a conscious decision to spend more time at the gym. I have been going to yoga all year and I’m pretty active, but I wasn’t getting as much cardio as I needed.

At a recent appointment at UCSF before our trip the nurse was asking me how I was doing. Bob had mentioned my headaches and my lack of a good nights sleep and she was concerned. She asked me how much cardio I was getting in every week. Hmmm, not as much as I should and not as frequent as it should be. She asked me to make an effort to do more cardio and see if it would help me with my sleeping.

So on our trip we went to the gym every day! I did some weights too decided I better keep it up, along with my yoga practice. Since we’ve been home I’ve going to the gym almost every day. I’m not sure I’m sleeping better but I do feel better about myself and feel like I’m doing the right thing.

Do you know what’s great about having Alzheimer’s? You don’t remember things! That’s an advantage I was made aware of when I watched  Greys Anatomy this week and didn’t  remember any of the episodes I watched last year! So now I am back at the gym, back on the treadmill and very excited to watch two hours of Greys Anatomy every single day. I’m doing weights again too and will always continue my yoga class. It’s good for my brain and my body and I love the instructor.

I’m not minimizing what my life is like with this disease, I’m just pointing out some of the benefits! I could spend all day talking about the down side. But that’s not who I am. I always look for the good in people and in everything that comes my way. Are things harder for me now? YES. Do I need more help with things YES. Am I happy and grateful for all the love and support I get YES.

So this New Years Eve we will be safe at home and raise a glass to anther year filled with blessings🙏🏻 To our family and friends who continue to support us and make sure we are OK. To the Alzheimer’s Assoc and their support and the amazing opportunities they offer us. Where I can use my voice, share my story and raise awareness about what living with Alzheimer’s looks like.

Thank you all for your support too. Every phone call, card, lunch date or Facebook post brings me joy and fills my spirit. You lift me up and I am so grateful for that💜

Please stay safe and have a Happy Happy New Year🥂I can’t
wait to see what great things happen in 2019👍🏼

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Your Brain Matters💕

I survived Thanksgiving! It was difficult and stressful but also a lot of fun. I really struggled with the organization of things, even shopping was hard for me this year but we had a wonderful day and thanks to our family we had plenty of side dishes and some unbelievable desserts😊 

My favorite part was setting the table and using all of the china and sterling silver that my mom used when she was growing up! I am so thankful to have some of the Geary ‘treasures’ that my mom passed down to me. As a young child she grew up in a wealthy home - her Great Grandfather was the final alcalde and the first mayor of San Francisco- John White Geary! They named Geary street after him. For those of you who know the area I’m sure that’s a familiar name to you. Later in life things were not so great for the family financially but she passed down some amazing heirlooms and traditions to me and my brothers and sister.  

John Whte Geary was a lawyer, a politician, a Freemason AND a General in the Civil War! In addition to his role as San Francisco’s first mayor he was also Governor of the Kansas Territory and the 16th governor of Pennsylvania. He fought in both the Mexican American War and the American Civil War. Not sure what that has to do with all the sterling silver that I have, but as I was talking about my mom the history of our Geary family popped into my brain 🤣

Even though Thanksgiving is over we continue to give thanks for our son Jonny, and his escape from the fires in Paradise and Concow. He’s been staying with us since the holiday and it’s a delight to have him here! 

Today we are in San Francisco so that we can arrive at UCSF early tomorrow morning. It will be a long day for me, starting with cognitive testing and then a few hours later I will have infusion #20! Thankfully the wonderful staff makes the time go quickly and we are excited to give them a huge box of See’s candy as a thank you gift for their kindness♥️


Last week was busy and Bob and I flew down to Santa Barbara to speak at an Alzheimer’s Association fund raiser-Your Brain Matters! It was a beautiful venue and the room was filled with over 500 people. We both spoke and Bob was honored with a special, and well deserved, Caregiver Award! Sarah Rafferty was there too and we spent some quality time chatting with her and her husband. It was exhausting for me but worth every minute! I hope I can continue to speak and share my story going forward. It really gives me purpose and I do believe talking about my journey helps others understand what the disease is like. We raised a ton of money too which is the most important part of these events. Without funding for research and services we will never find a cure!

I am slowing down and decided not to decorate for Christmas this year, but we do have a wreath, poinsettias and a few decorations to keep us in the holiday spirit. Keeping things simple is wise and there’s no need to get stressed out - actually stress is really hard on me so I avoid it if I can! 

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying Hanukkah and / or getting ready for Santa Claus🎅🎄🎁 

Happy Holidays and God bless you for your continued support and for all your prayers 🙏🏼🙏🏼