Hello, friends.
For the readers in the United States, today is Veterans Day. This is the day we honor all living and deceased U.S. military veterans. Thank you for protecting the United States’ freedom.
My father-in-law, Julian Najera served in the Air Force for 20 years and retired as a Master Sargent in 1971. He passed away on January 8, 2024, and was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, on April 24, 2024. Julian taught me the true meaning of service to others. I have many fond memories of Julian. I will never forget the breakfast we shared about a month before he died. Looking back, I believe Julian knew the end was near, and our breakfast was his way of expressing his love for me.
Please read the entirety of this blog post, as it explains an important subscription change. First, I want to provide a brief update on my health.
24 Hours of Wierdness
I woke up at about three Tuesday morning in the midst of a nightmare. I felt extreme anxiety and confusion. As if that wasn’t enough, I had a headache and chills. The next hour is fuzzy. I tried to get out of bed and take Tylenol. Instead, I kept falling asleep and waking up. Looking back, it was like the movie Ground Hog Day.
Eventually, I took Tylenol, drank water, and put on a sweatshirt - and, went back to sleep with Big Bit snuggled beside me.
After I got up at 9:30 and ate breakfast, I continued to feel ‘off.’ Something wasn’t right. I pushed forward, though.
In the early afternoon, Linda had an appointment with her new primary care physician. The physician’s clinic is about 1/2 mile from our apartment. Due to Linda’s worsening neuropathy, she is unable to walk more than a short distance. It was a delightful autumn day, so we decided I would push Linda in her wheelchair.
While Linda was with her physician, I suddenly experienced a feeling of uneasiness, ringing in my ears, a headache, and balance issues when I stood. The doctor suspected I was experiencing vertigo symptoms.
We booked an Uber to take us home. I slept most of the afternoon. Last night, I slept fairly well. This morning, everything seems normal.
If these symptoms occur again, I will contact my physician.
Blog Subscription Change
I am a regular subscriber to The Second Act Strategist, a Substack publication by Tracy Friedlander. Her work focuses on helping people write and share their life stories, their expertise, and, most importantly, their true passions. My Alzheimer’s Journey fits that description perfectly. Tracy is also a guru on Substack growth and monetization.
Writing this blog and its sister publication, Greg Rowland’s Alzheimer’s Research Report, is a deep passion of mine. But it is also my job. Linda and I depend on the income from these publications to bridge the gap between our retirement income and our rising living and healthcare expenses. I spend between four and six hours every day researching and writing.
As much as I want this blog to be supported entirely by voluntary donations, the math simply isn’t mathing. Out of about 450 subscribers, roughly ten percent donate regularly. Those donations range from $5 per month to $250 per year, and over eighty percent of them are under $25 per month.
A few days ago, Tracy Friedlander wrote something that hit home:
“People will hand over $8 for an oat milk latte without blinking and then tell you a newsletter should be free. The latte lasts about eleven minutes. Your post holds what you learned over 25 years of getting it wrong, getting it right, and eventually teaching other people how. So charge for the writing — and let them figure out which one they’d rather give up.”
Her words pushed me to realize that I need to transition to a formal subscription model. However, let me be clear: there will always be a free version of My Alzheimer’s Journey.
To make this sustainable, I am introducing the following subscription tiers:
Basic (Free): A weekly digest published every Friday summarizing the highlights of the Sunday through Thursday posts.
Standard ($5/month or $50/year): Access to all posts published Monday through Thursday, plus the special new Sunday Sentiments edition.
Supporter ($300/year): All Standard benefits, plus one telephone or video consultation with me per month. We will discuss any subject you choose.
All annual plans are paid in advance. Substack requires a minimum monthly subscription of $5.
My Alzheimer’s story has genuine value for caregivers, researchers, educators, and individuals currently navigating this horrible disease. I don’t know of another publication that offers such an unfiltered, raw, day-to-day look at the life of someone living with Alzheimer’s.
As of today, these subscriptions are officially available for purchase. To give everyone time to adjust, I will not impose the daily content restrictions on Basic subscribers until December 1.
Thank you so much for your continued support and for walking this path with me. Your paid subscription does more than support my writing. It contributes to our rising living expenses and medical care costs.