The Beginning

Leona and Ennis were married when she was 16 and he was 21. They have been together for 52 years. So that began their life. She had been strong in God from the age 13 praying for a Godly husband. So here goes telling you guys what's happening.

Well, I'm not a writer but wanted to inform everyone about the Alzheimer's disease my mother-in-law has and what they have been going through. First, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive deterioration due to generalized degeneration of the brain. In other words, the neuron's in Leona's brain have been getting smothered by the natural plaque we all have in our own brains. Literally killing the neuron's that run our brain. But the interesting thing is no one knows why this happens. Speculation is the processed foods, multi tasking, etc. My thought would be Walmart! Simply because they keep changing everything around when you shop. Taxing if you ask me.

Leona showed signs of the disease in 2005. Not remembering things or where she put things. Not communicating as she did before. Having to pin pieces of paper to her clothing so she could remember if they still fit. Not remembering how to play a domino game. Sleeping during the day more. Loosing some memory of people she had known. Basically their life started changing. No longer was she in charge of her home. Keeping it clean, cooking, doing laundry, etc. but everything started being transferred to Ennis, her husband. He basically didn't have a clue to doing house keeping, laundry, meals, etc. He now had to be in charge of both their lives.

In 2010, he started sending letters to all his children of how this illness was progressing and how much he felt the importance was for them to be with their mother as much as possible. Her memory and recognition of them was diminishing.

Russ and I and children took a trip to Texas in July 2010 for a fun family reunion. Not really knowing what to expect.

Earlier this last year, I had prayed for God to expand my life more. Give me more to do.

During that trip, the family came to a decision for us to have Ennis and Leona live with us. He wanted her to not have to go to a Nursing Home if at all possible. So them coming to Tennessee was their option. I'm grateful that God had chosen us to take care of them. I believe He answered my prayer.

It wasn't long after that, that Ennis started getting his house in order and getting rid of things and only packing what they needed for the move.

And on our end we had to get a house ready for them. One that could be "baby proof" for her safety because at her home, there was stuff everywhere. She could get a hold of things and put them in her mouth and eat them. She didn't know any better.

They moved her to the guest trailer in August 2010 until we could get the house ready.

It was not a very secure place for her because she could leave and no one would know it. She could mess with things she shouldn't. She at this point was capable of using the bathroom, eating, dressing by herself. But since she moved in with us in September, everything has changed to being dependent on us. Not knowing how to use a bathroom, putting on her clothes, eating with her fingers. Her speech makes no sense usually. Her words are mixed up and she repeats them. She is rapidly regressing.