Hi,

It certainly looks like no one has been at this site since September of
2006. I attempted to register with the site and was accepted by the
moderator. At least we know the moderator is here. If anybody is there can we
get this site active again?

My name is Bill. I live in Cumberland, Rhode Island. I am 63, my wife
is 73. We have five children, all from her first marriage. We have been
married 38 years. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and 2002. I left the
workplace in 2003, to be home with her full time. I was too late. Alzheimer's
had already stolen my bride. For 17 months, I pretty much stayed home with her
24/7. Her condition continued to deteriorate and mine did as well. Attempts to
get her to accept adult day care failed. Attempts at in-home respite care
failed. After those 17 months of solitary with her I was an emotional,
physical, and mental wreck. I was finally able to get her to accept the adult
day care. This very well could have saved my health or my sanity or both.
After a gradual beginning she now attends five days a week. Except for this
huge respite, (and 2 hours monthly to attend my support group meeting) I am sole
caregiver to my wife. She is now pretty firmly entrenched
in stage six. I am also a regular attendee of an Alzheimer's support group
that I fear might soon be closing down. So I have decided to go online to look
for support groups. I was thrilled to find there is something out there. The
old adage that "misery loves company." is certainly true in my case. I believe
it is going to be great to commiserate with so many others who understand what
I'm going through. And you certainly do from what I've read. Many of you are
shouldering an even larger load that I am, and it is encouraging to see how well
you are holding up. I hope that I can add a little something to help shoulder
the load that we all are carrying.

I really do wish I had gone online for support groups while I was
in solitary. I do believe that would've made all the difference in the world
for me. While there was a time when I thought I could handle this alone, I
certainly know now that that is not the truth. I often tell the others in my
support group that they are my crutches. I can now tell them that they don't
have to support all my weight. Thank you all ahead of time for what I am sure I
will get from you all.

Bill


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