Bob and Debbie Conroy - Enjoying the Journey Together!

It has been over six weeks since Debbie moved into the memory care section at Wesley’s Edgewater campus in West Des Moines. I am happy to report that the move and transition were better than we hoped for as she was immediately calmer and happier in this more structured environment. She has a nice room; it is quite large, and we call it her apartment. The facilities and the staff at Edgewater are fantastic. Debbie continues to decline cognitively, a little bit each day. She cannot read, follow conversations, or express more than her basic thoughts and needs. When asked a question she freezes up as she senses that it is a question, perhaps from the rising inflection at the end of the question. We try not to ask her questions, but it is hard not to because it is polite to ask people what they might need and give them choices. Very little new information makes it into Debbie’s long-term memory. When her sister Ronna visits in the morning and then I visit later in the day, Debbie has no mem...

My grandson, Jackson, is a good person. That may be my highest compliment besides respecting those that are lifelong learners.  Jackson was given the promise of a full ride scholarship to any University of Nebraska location when he was in 8th grade. He would forfeit the scholarship if his grades sagged or if he got into any trouble. I became concerned when he acquired a steady girlfriend, Cassidy, in 10th grade.  Girlfriends, good grades and staying out of trouble are often mutually exclusive. Over the years that they dated I got to know Cassidy and was impressed with her kindness and character. They continued to date through high school and entered University of Nebraska at Kearney together. Four years later they both graduated and then landed great jobs in Kearney.  Jackson and Cassidy married and my heart is full of joy for them. They deserve each other and they are a blessing to their families and many friends.