January 8th, 2017
Today’s Highlights: The dogs and I got up around 6 AM and went outside to do the bathroom duties. After that, we ate breakfast. Around 9 AM, Mom and I left to go to Meijer and Olive Garden. At Meijers, I got my supplies that I needed for school, which also included snacks. Around 11 AM, we went to Olive Garden to eat lunch. I have to say that Olive Garden is not my favorite restaurant because the food selection is very limited in what I like. The only reason that we went there is because of a gift card that I received as a gift. Honestly, the only thing I like at Olive Garden is the salad and bread sticks. After lunch, we came home and relaxed for the rest of the day. For dinner, I made fiesta rice salad, which is one of my favorite meals. Now, the dogs and I are relaxing for the night. Tomorrow is the day that I go back to college and start back to the normal routine. Overall, today was a good day.
Photo of the Day:
1-8-2017 Day 8: College life with two dogs
Thoughts of the Day: Fears. I have a lot of fears, but the one that holds close to my heart is Alzheimer’s. I am terrified that I will get this disease because I have seen what it does to people and their families. It is one of the most horrible diseases that I have watched take away my grandfather. My Grandfather, Alphonse John Kolowich, was a man of very few words. He never let anything stop him. As a young child, he suffered from Polio, which left his legs and arm affected. His legs did eventually recover, but his arm did not. He never let his arm get in the way of him not being able to do something. He always found a way to do it. He worked for many years as a Janitor in a school, owned a gas station and worked in the Pioneer Sugar Factory. He could of used his arm as an excuse, but he chose not too. This is the man who inspires me to keep going and never let my hearing loss stop me. It is when he retired that this disease set in. I was one of the granddaughters that was close to him because he and my grandmother babysat me for years while my parents worked. I can remember the slow process of how this disease took him away from us. We used to play goldfish in the living room and I can remember towards the end that it was me teaching him how to play goldfish. This disease took his speech away first, but his face always held and showed the emotions. It was how we communicated together. I remember the frustrations that he had because he couldn’t talk. He would fall and would not let my grandmother help him, but for me, he would get up. Watching your grandfather slowly die from this disease is hard and heartbreaking because you know that it is not them. It is a disease that needs a cure because of the long painstaking process that it takes to kill a person. It is one of my biggest fears to get this disease because I don’t want die a slow death and have my family watch it.We need a cure for this disease. Alphonse John Kolowich: 6/22/1922-9/19/2009.
Quote of the Day: “I live it one day at a time.”
-Phyllis June Phelps
Photos from the Past: In memory of my Grandfather.
Hope you enjoyed reading my post. Share your experiences with Alzheimer’s. Feel free to ask any questions or give advice. Hope you have a beautiful day!
Thanks,
Rikki Kolowich
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A Kolowich and Her Dogs 