Alzheimer's Canyon: September 2018

Monday, September 17, 2018

Sky: Voluntary Driving Ban

Has it finally arrived: the end of my 53-year driving career? And, is Career the right word? Yes, I think so.

I’m having no trouble at all remembering the excitement of my fifteenth year…the year I came eligible to take the test for my learner’s permit. For some reason, teenagers in Massachusetts had to wait, not until 17, not until 16, but fifteen-and-a-half was good enough.

The waiting was interminable in any case. And, besides, it felt like there was some kind of magic going on. One day I was too young to drive, and the next day all was OK. I just had to take a multiple choice written test and a vision test and then I could climb behind the wheel of the family’s Chevy Impala, a tank of a vehicle if their ever was one. Is this really fair to the other drivers on the road? I mean the ones who know what they were doing out there there? I had collected a lot of semi-useless book knowledge about cars and motors. I was all over my two magazine subscriptions (Popular Mechanics and Mad). Back then, I was able to identify every American car by its radiator and could tell you more than you needed or wanted to know about the evolution of tail fin design and placement. And hood ornaments…..fascination.

Tips on Reading Alzheimers Canyon

As of May 2018, there are now over 100 subscribers to our blog. And by "our" we mean not just Sky and Jane, but also everyone who reads and generally follows along with this journey into dementia. We read every single comment you all add with great interest. Please feel free to chime in.

We've learned a lot from your comments and expect to learn more as the journey unfolds. We've found it is too much try to reply individually to each comment on the blog, especially in a timely manner.....remember... some of these words, like the brain behind them, may have "loosed their anchors to time."

For new or bemused readers, this blog has two simultaneous threads going on at the same time. Some written by Sky, who is living with a diagnosis of "Probable Early Alzheimer's Disease." Some are written by Jane, who has been living with Sky for over 30 years. She holds the complicated position of primary care-partner.

The bulk of the posts are reflections on real-life challenges, adventures, surprises and their attendant emotions and changes. When you open the blog you will see a small selection of a small selection of the most recent posts. Most of these lead to a READ MORE button which will get you to the rest of the post. Feel free to jump around.

The other part of the blog is a more fantastical story, called Alzheimer's Canyon, about a regular guy, innocently traveling life's highway, who unexpectedly ends up in an exceedingly bizarre place called Alzheimer's Canyon. It is important to read these episodes in order. Here's how: Scroll down to the list called LABELS, on the right-hand sidebar. Click on the Label called Alzheimer's Canyon and you will see all the episodes. Don't forget to visit them in order, starting with "The Arrival." All the other episodes will be obvious from the number in their titles.

Keep in touch...