Hey Patrick,

Thank you for responding so quickly to my message. I
couldn't help but notice that you last message was dated August of
2005. Is that date correct? Where have you been for two years? Do
you have any idea why this message board was deserted for two years?
I really suppose that if people get interested again it really
doesn't matter why it stopped before.

This journey has had the same effect on me as it has on you.
I am very alone and very lonely. Seeking out these online sites is
one way I am trying to battle the loneliness. I am also considering
trying to get involved in the religious community. However, my
unhappiness with the way the clergy abuse problem has been handled by
all churches has made me angry with all denominations. I don't know
how I'm going to deal with that.

I also agree with you that we need contemporaries to
commiserate with. People a generation older or a generation younger
just don't fill the bill. At the Alzheimer's support group meetings
most of the individuals are children of parents with Alzheimer's.
Well, we have each other, Patrick. I will keep in touch.

Bill


--- In spouseswithalzheimers@yahoogroups.com, Patrick Gorman
<patrickgor@...> wrote:
>
>
> My wife who is in Alzheimers stage 6 has been living at an assisted
> living facility for 5 months and seems quite happy lately in her
new home.
> She cried often living at home most likely because there was just
the two of
> us and she was expecting me to be her entertainment director all
the time.
> I prefer to read, surf the internet, watch the History Channel, and
> work out at the gym. We are both 66 and retired to CA from NJ about
6 years
> ago before the disease began. It began to take hold soon thereafter
> before either of us had a chance to develop new friends. So my wife
is doing
> ok, at least in her own mind as she has found many "friends" at her
residence.
>
> I'm ok during the day doing some volunteer work and going to the
gym but that
> long period from 5 PM til 9 AM, a span of 16 hours, is taking its
toll on me
> as I am all by myself then with no one to talk with all that time.
And eating out
> alone is no fun. I've never been on any meds but recently my doctor
prescribed high
> blood pressure meds. The stress seems worse now that I'm alone. I
think
> it's because I realize I could be isolated for quite a long time. I
can't seem to find
> any lone guys my age to "hang out with". They are all married or
attached to
> a significant other and hang out with other couples. An old friend
living back East
> lost his wife a year ago and after grieving a few months began
dating again
> and said he never thought he would ever be this happy again. He
says he
> feels badly for me because I may not be able to achieve true
happiness again
> for many years because we are quite young yet. We don't communicate
any more because his conversation revolves totally around his lady
friends.
>
> Caregivers groups I've found seem to have no one in my situation.
The attendees
> are mostly young women who have parents with Alzheimers or old
women whose husbands have the disease. There are a couple of men but
they are 15 to 20
> years older than me and are content to just be home and rest all
day.
>
> I've thought of moving back East again but I no longer have
relatives there and old friends have retired and moved to the
SouthEast.
>
> Perhaps I'll find some help here.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>