A Special Thanks To Those Who Home Care In Wyoming

I'm going to admit something here that I don't even like saying out loud: I suffer from a little Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

For me, it did not come from going to war or serving as a police officer. It developed after spending 6 years home caring my father through Alzheimer's.

That was 6 years alone in a house, taking care of his meals, bathing him, dealing with toilet and other personal hygiene issues, and struggling to keep him happy through his growing confusion and emotional issues as the condition worsened.

Don't worry about me though, I'm fine. I just draw into myself a bit and choke back some emotions when I see someone with Alzheimer's, with their care giver, out in public. Sometimes it hits me when I see a story about the disease in the news.

Across America there are many who are doing now what I did then. Some are hired to give care, some are family members who had no choice but to step up.

If you know a care giver, please, make sure to spend as much time being a friend as you can. They need loving, human, interaction more than I can describe in this article.

Over the next few weeks Wyoming will host a series of Alzheimer's walks. Would you be willing to show up and give a little support? I'll be at a couple of them.

If you are a care giver, please attend. I know all too well that you need to get out into the world and interact with people who understand.

Find out where your local Wyoming Alzheimer's walk is by logging onto ALZ.org and typing in your town or zip code.

Hope to see you at one of the walks.