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My wife, 65 years old, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia back in 2001, and is more rapidly declining now. In researching ways to make her more comfortable, I located the “Coach Broyles' Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers” through the Alzheimer's Association, and I wanted to send a “Thank you” to Coach Broyles for writing such a helpful book. My wife is entering the last of her life, and I think I am able to make it more comfortable for her because of information found in his book.
If you can, would you please pass on my Thank You for me?
Thank you for any help with this.
Thomas Markley
August 15, 2007
Frank Broyles
Univ. of Arkansas Athletic Dept.
Broyles Athletic Center
Fayetteville, AR 72702
Dear Frank,
Thank you for sending the copy of your terrific caregiver's guide! My assistant, Sherry, brought it immediately to my attention.
I will promote it in my column as soon as I can. One thing, however, I need to know – what is the price of the book? My office phone (unlisted) is XXX-XXX-XXXX.
It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope our paths cross again.
Warmly,
Abby
www.DearAbby.com
Hi Shellye,
I wanted to drop you a note to tell you about my recent experience with the Alzheimer's materials given out at convention.
As you may know, I'm a part of a very close knit alumnae chapter. One of our members recently shared at our poker gathering that her mom and dad (both in a nursing facility) have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I remembered the materials from the convention Foundation session and ran upstairs to dig thru my materials and find them. I was so excited to be able to give her something that was going to be a hands on real life help to her at this particular time in her life.
I came back to the room, pulled her aside and shared the booklets with her and gave them to her to keep. The look on her face was worth a thousand words. She hugged me, cried and could not thank me enough for sharing something from Phi Mu that relates specifically and in concrete ways to her own life.
Thanks for giving the alumnae of Phi Mu something we can use for years to come. I thought we'd been sidelined by the collegiate focus on young women's issues. It's good to see that we recognize Phi Mu is a lifetime experience and that as an organization we intend to provide a lifelong learning experience to our members.
Audrey
Please forward to Coach Frank Broyles at your convenience: I just received and read my “playbook” published by the Alzheimer's Association that you composed concerning Alzheimer's caregivers. My 80 year old father has middle stage Alzheimer's Disease and your playbook really describes and explains the multitude of problems that caregivers endure. I just wanted to personally thank you for the effort you put into this “playbook.” You have touched many people with your no-nonsense and common sense approach to the many situations that caregivers face every single day. Thank you so much from all of us who battle this disease in our own way every day.
Sincerely,
Wade Robinson
Dear Coach Broyles,
Please accept our deep appreciation for your making available the large number of copies of your Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers. We have placed these in all of our Harps and Price Cutter Pharmacies to give to our customers who are Alzheimer's caregivers. We believe your Playbook will be of tremendous assistance to them.
We have read your Playbook and it truly is very practical and an excellent resource for anyone who has a family member with Alzheimer's disease. What a marvelous way for you to honor Barbara by making the Playbook available to help other folks going through the challenges that you and she were able to overcome.
Thank you again for your thoughtfulness in providing the Playbook to the Harps and Price Cutter Pharmacies.
Sincerely,
Roger Collins
President
Harps
Dear Coach Broyles,
My attempt to call you the other day was a knee jerk reaction without stopping to consider how terribly busy you must be. I apologize.
You most likely will not remember me at all, but I fondly remember a day many years ago when you and your son came to Houston Country Club to play a round of golf. My pal Charlie Epps was pro there at the time and asked me if I would like to join you and your son. I of course was delighted and had an absolute ball getting to know you. I was tuning up to play in the member-guest at Peachtree in Atlanta as the guest of my old college roommate Bo Whitman. Bo and I were paired with Governor Saunders and his son. Governor Saunders mentioned a great friendship with you and Barbara and wanted to know how you were. As I said this was many years ago and my foggy old memory may not serve me with 100% accuracy, but the mutual admiration was obvious. So, my first thank you is for the enjoyable afternoon of golf many years ago.
The real reason for my call the other day is the source and inspiration for my second thank you. My wife Betty is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. I have been her care giver now for about 14 months. I'm 76, she's 56. My life has been turned upside down. I've never had any exposure to dementia in any form in all my years on earth. In searching for knowledge to help me understand the disease and what I could expect next, I joined the Alzheimer's Association, nationally and locally. That's where I found your “Playbook.” The minute I received it I sat down and read it straight through, word for word. What a huge blessing for me to find such a straight forward, down to earth, “been there” account of what lies ahead. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
What an incredibly unselfish, humane way to turn the great loss of your life partner Barbara into a manual that will benefit others by the thousands for years and years to come. We must find a cure for this tortuous debilitating disease.
I am so proud that I met you and proud of the wonderful way you have shared with us in order that we might better understand. Arkansas is lucky to have such a great athletic leader and molder of young people, but we care givers are truly blessed to have your concern. I am confident that God does not give us more than we can handle, but I wish He didn't have quite so much confidence in me. Certainly the “Playbook” has helped me plan with greater confidence for the years ahead. May God bless you for this unselfish gesture.
Gratefully,
John Cater
Dear Coach Broyles,
I wanted to take the time to thank you for sending your playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers.
Your book was very helpful and informative and it speaks volumes about your love and commitment to your wife.
I am a nurse. And recently left a very satisfying career as an open heart recovery nurse to go and work at a local nursing home. I felt God calling me to this place, and realized when God calls, I really need to obey.
As you can imagine, the type of work I do now is very different, but it has been such a blessing to work in this environment.
I have an Alzheimer's unit at my nursing home. The Activity Director does an awesome job at keeping the residents active, but I want to know more so that we can give them the very best care, and the appropriate care.
It was very helpful to read your book, and I plan to pass it on to some of my resident's families.
I am also hoping to start a support group for our residents and their families.
Thank you for your love and devotion, and your wonderful book.
Sincerely,
Karen Orindorff
Dear Coach,
Congratulations on the recent recognition of the Playbook by Today's Caregiver Magazine. The Playbook is such a wonderful resource for families and we hear daily how much it has helped countless families as they deal with this difficult diagnosis. The Alzheimer's Association is so grateful for all that you do. Congratulations on this honor!
Sincerely,
Marisha DiCarlo
Donita and Coach Broyles,
What a wonderful book!!! Thanks for the copies. It is so good I read all of it in one sitting. A lot of this explains what has been going on and what we haven't been able to understand. Now, I'm taking it to the nurses at the care center to read with emphasis on “read.”
My mother-in-law Sue Flanigan and my wife Terri are so excited that you sent the books and really appreciate it more than you'll ever know. Sue was able to take my father-in-law Dr. Flanigan out today for a while and went riding and then went to McDonalds to eat. He really likes McDonalds and it seemed like a big treat to him. After they rode around awhile Sue said, “well, I guess you need to get back and rest” and Dr. Steve said, “will, I'm ready.” She was so surprised that he was ready to go back to the controlled environment of the care facility. Wheln they got back all the staff and some of the residents make a big deal about him coming back. He was beaming from the attention. It's tough not having him at home, but our family just couldn't take another attack like the last one, so we're all fairly comfortable with the situation. Prayer has been the biggest help.
After reading the book it now makes sense him shutting all the blinds in the house and basically scared to do anything and then getting upset so easy. Who knew a simple rug on the floor or shadows could be a problem? So much great information!!!
Bless you all,
Max Wright
Dear Coach Broyles,
This letter is to thank you for putting together your Playbook For Alzheimers' Caregivers. I have not needed to use it, myself, because my first husband died of bladder cancer before his Alzheimer's could progress to that point. But my present husband's brother is caring for his wife, who is well into the disease. As soon as I saw the article in the paper about your book, I went to the Springdale Walmart pharmacy, got a copy for him, and mailed it off at once.
Robert Hemmis, my brother-in-law, writes us fairly often, and in most of his letters he refers to the book, how much help it is to him, how often he consults it – and thanks us all over again for sending it to him. Since all we did was send it, and you are the one who had the brains, determination, and means to put it together, you are the one who deserves the thanks. Bob doesn't know how to get hold of you, and he's a very busy man, so I am thanking you for him – and for my husband and myself, for explaining a lot of things no medical personnel have taken time or trouble to explain to Bob, and for making his life a little easier than it otherwise would be. He is a World War II veteran of 89, his wife is 90, so life would be tough enough without the disease. I admire him for keeping her at home as much as he possibly can, and doing most of her care himself. A home care person comes in twice a week, and another woman comes the other three weekdays, to clean and do laundry. Other than that, and an occasional baby-sitter from the church, so he can go to the grocery store, that's it!
I truly admire you for making this important book available free to those who need it. I hope you and your wonderful compatriots in the enterprise have to print more copies to fill the demand! Caregivers need all the help they can get. This was needed.
Sincerely,
Norma Tomboulain
(Mrs. Lewis J. Hemmis)
Dear Mr. Broyles,
It was a pleasure speaking with you last week regarding the “Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers.” The “Playbook” is used by our faculty and staff with their Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers who have found it to be a very valuable aide.
Since we work with a large Spanish speaking population in Chicago, we are very pleased that you have given us permission to translate the “Playbook” into Spanish. We will make our Spanish version available to you and hope it may be used someday to develop a Spanish language editor.
Thank you again for providing us with an excellent resource for Alzheimer's patients and caregivers. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely yours,
Nick Straub
Administrator
Department of Medicine
University of Illinois Chicago
cc: Thomas J. Layden, MD., Edmund F. Foley Professor and Department Head
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