I am happy to say that after a number of very quiet days, with sleeping and letting my body rest and recover, I am ( I was a little apprehensive that I may not be able to go). but I am readying myself for my trip to Toronto, leaving tomorrow morning and back on the 21st. My doctor understands the importance of me doing these things, but he has also gently suggested that maybe after a very difficult year especially that perhaps I could give my body down time over the winter. Which I will do as I have nothing on the calendar until likely the end of April. I can’t wait to see those I have met before and to meet for the first time many, who I have only had the pleasure and priviledge of seeing and working with via zoom. I also have a very special guest joining me for the conference, we originally met through my blog, then see joined DAI and there was a start of a friendship that has grown for over four years, she will also travel to Toronto and we will meet in person for the first time tomorrow evening. It is going to be incredible, it is an important meet up, we are both aware that for those of living with dementia/Alzheimer’s, we as (people without illness should learn to put more thought into) is that we don’t know if we will get the chance again. The conference is also of great importance to me for so many many reasons, the connections, the work we are doing, the work we want to continue to do, with everyone at the CCNA, our EPLED team is a great group of people and seeing them in person will be life changing as are all these connections. I believe every time we make these connections our lives become richer, we grow on personal levels, those connections for many of us will last long beyond the work we are currently doing.
I have been busy preparing my little dog that she will be going on a holiday to Brent and Kay’s and that I will be home before she nows it and then we will have the winter to just snuggle in. I know she is always happy there, although the older she gets the less she wants to be anywhere but home, but it is a second home to her and I am so grateful that they enjoy her. I keep telling her time for her to have a break from her crazy mom… she always knows when I am getting ready for a trip and she always needs to know whether it is a trip we are doing together or if she is getting a holiday of her own.
Below you will find the link to a write up by Fernando Perez I am so honoured to have the chance to work with Fernando and his counterparts, on a very exciting project, more to follow in the coming months, so stayed tuned for updates. I am so impressed by Fernando, his story in and of itself is one to be heard and shared so please, take the opportunity to learn about Fernando and his story. I can’t wait to share more with you all, but I am truly honoured to have been asked to walk along side Fernando and the rest of those involved. another example of how sometimes we don’t see whats just up ahead, life is hard and at times you feel so alone, but truly if we open ourselves up to becoming involved, the connections we make mean we are never truly alone.
So I am pushing for one more good year to do things I want to do, to take part in the things that are important to me, yes it’s easier to give up and give in, in many ways, but I am not a quitter, never have been, don’t want to start now. When it is time for me to be done, I will for sure do it and do it willingly because I will know within myself and I will be ready, but the rest of 2022 and for 2023, I am not going to let my Dementia define me or stop me if I have any say in it. I may have set backs like my recent TIA, but like my doctor says, will a big stroke happen one day, in all likely hood yes, the TIA’s are telling us that, but what we don’t know is if its 20 minutes, 20 days, months or years from now, so until it happens or until I feel inside myself that it is time for me to stop doing what brings happiness and joy to my life, I will keep on doing it. Life is too short, I won’t let a set back or two stand in the way, I will just to a rework of and how I am doing things, but I will go, until I am stopped or until I feel it is my time to stop.
Enjoy your weekend everyone, I will bring updates if I can while I am away, if not until I return, find things that make you happy and do that.
Chrissy's Journey 