Mending A Broken Promise

I know that many people already have the background knowledge in understanding why Alzheimer's disease has become such a large part of my life; however, I feel that it is important that I share my story and explain why I do what I do. Below is an excerpt from my entry essay into the Public Health Program at UNC Charlotte; in which I hope it will help to illustrate my reasoning for choosing a career path that I am so passionate about. Enjoy :) 

       I would like to one day, be able to consider my profession not just a job, but an identity. I hope to find a career that I fall in love with and inspire others to get involved with as well. For when others make inquiries about my job, I want to be able to smile, without hesitation, and be able to respond, “This is not just what I do, it is who I have become”. When I imagine all the possible scenarios of what my life will entail in the next five to twenty-five years, Alzheimer's makes an appearance in every single one. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I wasn't fighting to create a world without this wretched disease.

       In today’s society, it seems that too many people share the common career goal of just desiring to make lots of money, placing little to no importance on whether they truly enjoy their job or not. However, I have more important priorities when it comes to my overall career goal. I believe the careers that turn out to be the most rewarding, are the ones in which you are beyond any doubt, passionate about. For me, that passion is Alzheimer’s disease.

Growing up, I was always close with my grandmother. We did absolutely everything together; it was like we were inseparable. Then when I started high school, I began noticing changes in her personality. My grandma began having sporadic episodes where she would forget things, or would become paranoid about certain situations. That is when my mom informed me that Maw-Maw had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Just like my grandmother, when I am not satisfied with something, I become committed to doing anything in my power to change the end result. In the back of my mind, I realized that her symptoms would continue to progress and the disease would ultimately take her life away; however, I refused to accept that outcome. I made a promise to both myself and Maw-Maw that I would do anything I could to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Looking back, the moment that I made this promise, is the moment my future career goal was put into place. 

My journey towards fulfilling the promise I made to my grandma began with care-giving for her. Since my grandpa had decided not to put her into an Alzheimer’s care unit, my mother and I committed ourselves to helping be the primary caregivers for Maw-Maw (with the additional assistance from many of our family members as well). There were the good days, where grandma felt well enough to go out shopping or to the movies. Then there were the bad days, where she would have emotional hallucinations, which led to extreme paranoia. As time passed, Maw-Maw’s good days began withering away; leaving me taking care of a woman whom I no longer recognized as once my best friend. Still I fought; I researched all kinds of possible medications to slow down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, as well as, clinical trials for patients like her; feeling defeated when I found that nothing could cure her.

In September 2011, my grandma fell and hit her head, requiring surgery on her eye. Not long after that, she took a turn for the worse with her Alzheimer’s and she stopped eating and drinking altogether. I begged the doctor to do something, knowing that I couldn’t break my promise I made to her. Yet, he explained to me there was nothing more we could do except making her comfortable during her final days. Nothing in this world was more unbearable than having to stand and watch this awful disease destroy the life of such an amazing woman. 

October 8th, 2011, my mother, grandpa and I held Maw-Maw’s hand as she passed away. I felt as though I had failed her; I wasn’t able to cure her from that dreadful disease like I had promised to try and do. I realized that I had two options; I could either erase Alzheimer’s from my life altogether, or I could take my experiences with my grandmother’s illness and turn it into an opportunity to help others who suffer from this disease. Despite knowing that it would be easier just to forget about Alzheimer’s; helping my grandma fight her battle for more than six years, I had become too emotionally invested with this disease to surrender so easily. I realized that MEMORIES ARE MEANT TO LAST FOREVER, and so that is why I joined the fight to end Alzheimer's.

As of today, I have raised over $4,500 for Alzheimer's Research and Care in the last 5 years(with the help from my amazingly supportive family and friends). We've participated in 3 Walk to End Alzheimer's events and even hosted our own Spaghetti supper & silent auction fundraiser for Alzheimer's. I am honored to have had the opportunity to intern with the Western Carolina Chapter of the Alz Association last August-December, as well as being given the opportunity to grow even more by interning with the Washington, DC-Public Policy office of the Association. 

     Though I am proud of these achievements, I still have countless goals I hope to accomplish in the future in attempts to help seize the burden that Alzheimer’s is causing on our society; Whether it be encouraging others to raise awareness, presenting ideas for future programs and policies, being a part of an Alzheimer’s advisory board, or researching to find a cause, I will continue to fight until the day that I mend the broken promise I once made to Maw-Maw. 

Time to Take Action!

Nearly 5.2 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's Disease at this very moment; but what most people don't understand is that this disease is FATAL. There is no treatment to slow the progression, nor is there a cure. This year alone, Medicaid and Medicare are expected to pay $150 BILLION for health care, long term care, and hospice for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. This disease is going to bankrupt our country if we do not take action immediately! 

I have begun a mini side project at my internship and I need your Help! It's got to do with social networking, so I know it's right up most of you all's alleys! 

Below is a link to a website with information on the Alzheimer's Association's newest piece of legislation, the Alzheimer's Accountability Act. Along with this information, there is a petition that we are asking people to take part in. A notification goes directly to your member of congress when you participate in this petition; which is vital in grabbing the government's attention and showing them how important this cause is to us! Take the initiative and encourage them to take action now! 

1) Click on the link below 
2) Go to the upper righthand corner of the page and click register! If you have a facebook, you can click the facebook icon and register directly with that! 
3) Choose your position on the Alz Accountability Act! Support or Oppose?
4) Fill out the requested information (a pain, I know) 
5) After you finish, share the link on facebook, twitter, email, or however you'd like. Tell your friends how important this cause is to you and to participate in the petition as well!

READY, SET, GO! 

POPVOX Petition- Alzheimer's Accountability Act!

I look forward to checking back on the website & seeing a HUGE increase in numbers of individuals who have decided to take action! Thanks so much guys! 

Also, below is the 2014 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Video as an additional resource for those who are interested in finding out just how much of an impact this disease is making on our Country! 

WELCOME!!!

 1212 New York Ave NW
Washington, DC 20005

Take a good look at the picture above; I hope you love the background as much as I do, because this building behind me is what I'd like to introduce you to as "my home away from home" until the end of July. This is your official welcome to the Public Policy Office of the Alzheimer's Association...ready for your behind the scenes tour? 

On the morning of June 2nd, as I stepped off of the elevator and into the front hallway of the 8th floor, I was taken back by my very first sight of the Alz. Association-Washington, DC office. With crystal clear glass walls, the perfect touch of purple accents, and an 8ft tall etching of the official Alz. Association symbol being the center focal point of the front room; it was everything I could have imagined. I had to pause for a second and let it sink in that my very first step into this office would symbolize another accomplishment in working towards achieving my dream of one day being an Alzheimer's Association Staff Member. 

I go to swing the door open and march my way in &...SMACK! It was locked, and it now displayed a lovely imprint of my face on the glass door. Since I was too clueless to think of ringing the doorbell, I waited until a staff member was coming off the elevator, unlocked the door and led me to one of the lobby chairs to wait for my internship adviser. I sat there, drinking my bottled water when I lost my grip and spilled it in the chair....GREAT. Trying to scoop the spilled water off the seat and back into my bottle so no one would notice, I thought to myself, "I should write a HOW TO GUIDE for Embarrassing Yourself!" <- Luckily, I don't think anyone noticed my mishaps; however, they do now! haha! Sorry for the mess guys! :) 

Coming into this internship, I was expecting to be one of at least 3-4 interns in the office, and that I'd be lucky to even have a chair and shared table as my workspace. To my surprise though, I was informed that I'm the ONE AND ONLY intern for the summer & I even got my own desk right in the middle of all the other staff members. I have my own phone line and even my very own ALZ.ORG email account! I could get used to this!

Take a step into my office ;) Since everyone else has lots of little personal touches added to their workspace, I decided why not add some character to my desk as well! I taped up the only two pictures that I got to bring with me to DC (one with me and my maw maw, and the other with the two of us plus my momma). I added a poem that I wrote about Alzheimer's disease back in 2010 for some inspiration, as well as a list of Internship Goals that I have for myself while I'm here. 

The last stop of this segment of the behind the scenes tour is my favorite room in the office, the grand conference room! This, ladies and gentlemen, "Is where the Sausage is made" as they say a lot here in DC. HAHA. From weekly staff meetings, to phone conferences with over 500 advocates at one time, or monthly conference calls with all of the Alz Chapters throughout the nation, a lot of imperative tasks go on in this room. 

I never realized just how much actually goes into making the Alzheimer's Association such a successful non-profit organization, but it's not a simple task. There is no such thing as unimportant busy work here because EVERYTHING is important; sometimes the littlest detail can be biggest make/break moment in a project. Working for the Alzheimer's Association is no typical 9am-5pm job; working late nights and into the weekends, traveling across the country for seminars and conferences, and spending their spare time reaching out to Advocates/Ambassadors/Members of Congress, these staff members put their heart and soul into what they do. 

I'm honored to be included as a member of the team being in my 2nd internship with the Alzheimer's Association (my first one being with the Western Carolina Chapter...Shoutout to my awesome mentors there, Scott Herrick and Lesha Dodson!) Finishing up my second week as an intern here in DC, I have been working on a few great assignments already, with some even more spectacular projects coming my way soon! Even though they may require me to put on my big girl panties and step out of my comfort zone, I'm ready to take on whatever task they hand me! Keep checking in to see what kind of crazy DC adventures I get myself into next! 

 Until then, Toodles! :) 

Downtown DC 101

I promised my dad that I would make a blog about my experiences in DC this summer so that I don't forget any part of this crazy adventure; so here it is! I'm "Putting On My Big Girl Panties" and sharing a tell-all about this crazy new world I'm living in! I've never been much of a blogger before, so bear with me here as I become accustomed to everything.

It's Day 10 in DC and I've been glaring at this empty blog page for a few days now, trying to fathom where I should even begin to share everything I've been doing/feeling since moving to the city last Saturday. Since I'm quite a few days into my adventure and only on my second blog post, I've decided to just give a quick run down of the lessons I've learned about the DC life so far! Enjoy :) 

6- Parking In The City: There is none....and if you do by chance find a spot, good luck trying to get to it! 

5- Being a Pedestrian is considered an Athletic Event: I thought NC had the worst drivers in the country, but obviously I was mistaken. If you are going to cross the street, by golly you better do it quick! If anyone used to play the computer game, Frogger,  where you have to get the frog across the highway without getting squashed (which is very difficult I might add) then replace that frog with me and replace the highway with "simple" two lane streets in DC & then you know exactly what I am talking about when I say that it takes serious skills to cross the streets around here without getting hit by a car! 

4- "LATE NIGHT" Night Life: Bars and Clubs in the District of Columbia are open until 4am! I made the attempt to go out with some friends Friday night and I fell asleep waiting on them to even go to the bar. Supposedly people around here don't go out til almost 12am (and to me, that is just nonsense. I'm too much of a grandma to be able to wait til that ungodly hour to BEGIN my night!). Daily Naps, here I come! 

3- Festivals: All I have to say is, Charlotte needs to step their game up! When they have festivals here, it's ALL or NOTHING. There is no half assing anything! I learned this lesson during PRIDE weekend (celebrating the LGBT community). 

2- This City Is NOT For the Cheapskates: I like to go out and have a drink, but I am also a bargain hunter. Hence my reasoning for partaking in Thirsty Thursdays at Boardwalk Billy's in Charlotte for $2 Drink Night! There is NO bargain eating or drinking in DC. I regrettably recall paying $13 for 1 Margarita my first day here...you know I had to be desperate for alcohol at that point to have even considered paying that ridiculous amount of money for a drink. Unfortunately, you WON'T find my version of a good deal on drinks, but if you happen to make it to the bar between 4pm-7pm, you can get a "DC deal" on a drink; which just so happens to still be between $5-$7...LUCKY YOU!

1- Fashion First: Thinking I could outwit everyone and wear cute shoes while walking to work so I didn't have to change into them later was definitely the hardest lesson I've learned so far! The first day alone, I got 4 blisters on the back of my heels as I was walking to work (and you'd think I would have learned my lesson then...think again). My 2nd attempt was going a little more casual though and attempting to wear sandals. Well, Thank you Calvin Klein for my $40 sandals that how have blood stains on them due to the fact that they rubbed 2 more blisters on my feet (one of those being on the bottom of my Big Toe! How is that even possible?!?). As I said earlier, it is day 10 of my DC adventure & I must admit that after seeing people walking around in dresses and sneakers all week, I FINALLY learned my lesson. Forget Fashion First, My Toms & Nikes are becoming my best friends! 

I will continue to add to my list of Lessons Learned throughout the summer for everyone to see, along with posting an update on Life as A Public Policy Intern in DC very soon! 

Time to Put on My Big Girl Panties.

As I sit on the rooftop terrace of my apartment, with a breath taking view of the DC skyline, I'm overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions. Tears begin to roll down my cheeks as I realize that reality has set in. Even though it's only until the end of July, packing up and moving to a place that's 5 hours away from home is a HUGE step for me. 

I grew up with half of my entire family living within a mile from me, and even after leaving for college, I was still able to make the 1.5 hour drive home from Charlotte to see my family whenever I pleased. Washington DC isn't just a short drive down the road though, so I cant just pick up and head home for a day or two when I begin to feel lonely or when I'm missing my friends and family (especially since I don't have a car with me this summer). 

My first day as a Public Policy Intern begins tomorrow at 9am and I’m terrified that I may not be adequate…even worse than that, what if I just flat out suck at it? And on top of that, my paranoia about all the bad things that can happen in the big city is beginning to kick in. As I sit here crying, the only thing I can think about is the 7 years that my MawMaw battled Alzheimers disease; and how it challenged our family and pushed us to our limits…changing our lives forever. I remember how much I resented God for putting us in that situation and making us watch as that dreadful disease robbed MawMaw of her mind as her life slowly withered away; just as earlier this evening when I began to resent the fact that God placed this opportunity in DC in my lap, knowing that it is going to push me to my limits and challenge me in many ways. Pondering over the two situations, I came to the realization that I finally have reached the true understanding of the quote "Everything happens for a reason,” and that this opportunity was obviously given to me for a reason. Yes, it is going to challenge me and push me, but it is also going to change my life & help me to grow in so many ways, just as MawMaw’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease did for me. In my heart, I feel that God gave my MawMaw the role of helping me to discover more about Alzheimer’s disease and to mold me into the young advocate for Alzheimer’s that I have become today. God presented me with a challenge, and gave me the tools to turn it into an opportunity, just as he has with this summer internship with the Alzheimer's Association.

Come 8:30am tomorrow morning, when I leave my apartment to head out for my very first day as an intern in DC, I will remind myself that "Today is the beginning of the rest of my life. And I can choose to be terrified of what may happen and resent the challenge placed in front of me, or I can put on my big girl panties, take the bull by the horns, and get out there & Change the world!" <3