losing yourself... (sorry, this one's not humorous)

I'm not talking about losing yourself in a good book or some great music.  I mean you - the real you.  Your memories, your habits, your personality -  your you-ness.  Imagine what you would do if those parts of you began slipping away, never to return again.  

Every 69 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease. What if it was you?  Once you're diagnosed, you have an average of 8 years to live...sometimes more, sometimes less...but in your remaining time, your identity disappears.  Bran cells are damaged causing memory loss, erratic behavior changes and confusion.  Slowly, you would lose your ability to connect with others, think clearly, walk, talk, eat... Your friends and family would gradually become strangers, your favorite foods begin tasting like paste, the memories you cherish most - your first kiss, wedding, the birth of your children, would just disappear.

And there's nothing you could do about it.  Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the country and the only one in that ominous top 10 list that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed down.  While death rates for other diseases are on the decline, the rate for Alzheimer's is increasing. Increasing!   And with the Baby Boomer generation now beginning to reach the age of 65, that rate is going to jump up even faster unless something changes.

I'm trying to help move that change along.  In order to raise awareness and funds for research and support, my family and I will be participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Lake Geneva on September 17th.  We will be walking in the name of my 3rd grandmother, Rusty, who suffered from the disease and passed away last month.  

Now I'm reaching out to all of my friends (hello friends!) and asking if you could spare a dollar or two this month to donate to our team, "The Rusty Walkers."  All of the funds we raise will go directly to supporting the efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.  I know times are rough right now and we don't have much we can spare, believe me I know, but when you add up all of those spare dollars it could really help.  

 If you're at all interested in donating, you can do so by following this link:

Thanks for taking a moment to read my rambling plea for donations (I've never been good at asking for help), and thanks in advance for any assistance you can give.