When i tell people i have "vascular parkinsonism Dementia" they automatically think i have made a misspelling, glad to have someone who understands it is Vascular Dementia with Heavy Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, but not Parkinson's. Sorry to hear about your Dad, this is my future too. I have been told by my Doctors, when it goes full blown, i may have around 7 years before my own Body looses the ability to swallow amongst other terrible things. I do understand, this is one battle this old Soldier can not win. It is a cruel thing for me as since leaving the military, i have prided myself on my Academic achievements, i gained my Masters Degree going back to University in my later years and being the oldest student in the class by far.
Yes, it is a cruel disease that robs sufferers of their abilites, pride and bodily functions. Watching my dad deteriorate from the proud and capable man he was to what he became towards the end was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. He lost the ability to walk very far so I used to take him out in a wheelchair becuse he loved being outdoors. It wasn't easy pushing the wheelchair in grass but I used to take him out on the local golf course looking for lost balls. He was an avid golfer until the dementia took away his ability, so finding lost golf balls allowed him to somehow still be connected to the game.
I went back to school to get my high school certificates, for which my then partner supported, but when I began university she disapproved and moved out, so I had no support of any kind from anyone and had to return to work to support myself and 2 kids. Oh well, could have been worse.
The war in Ukraine is really pissing me off and I'm starting to shy away from the constant news reports becuse of the wholesale slaughter of civilians, women, children and the elderly. I'm hoping the increasing sanctions against Putin and his supporters will shut down his ability to fund his war machine, it can't come soon enough in my view, as with millions upon millions of others who condemn this brutal war world-wide.
Hi starkers.
Thanks for sharing about your dad and the disease we both share. It is a cruel thing to have and to watch a person you love in such a mental place. As a long time soldier, my biggest worry will be if i blurt out things from my past, i always fought on the side of Light, yes i know a PMC with principles, but as a family man myself and Human Being, i have always held such things in the highest degree. I have seen and done some things that may shock a listener who does not understand my past, so hope this never happens.
I was lucky enough to have my wife's full support for going back to Uni, we did it for each other so it was at least fair, sorry it did not go as well for you.
I can not divert my attention from Ukraine as i have facilitated the movement of many PMCs across Europe and to the east of the country, so in my home at least 1 TV is always on Sky News or BBC 24 Hour news. Messages from Donbas and especially Mariupol are still coming through on secure channels, not sure how much longer this will continue, already lost one old friend there 2 days ago as the current situation is Bleak. RF forces are claiming Mariupol, but as of Today at this current time Mariupol is still Fighting for there lives, i just hope they act tactfully and try to withdraw and fight another day in another part of Ukraine, although i am sure that will not be the case, so Brave, So Patriotic. Every man and woman has my Utmost Respect. I will continue to help in my own way until it is no longer needed.
We all hope the sanction are ramped up even more, Boris my PM is now banned from entering Russia, i am sure that tit for tat will hurt Putin more than Boris as he seems to be made from Teflon. Things moving towards the future, Putin has and will come out of this and will be seen in a very different light than what we are used too. A World Super Power has Invaded a much smaller Country and has all but failed in every goal he set for himself and his Army. Many of the things we are seeing simply should not be happening, Kyiv should have fell to his mighty Army, it did not, the whole country should have been subjugated in days or weeks, it did not happen. The Moskva A Capital Leading ship should have had no problem destroying The Neptune Missiles that sunk it, they can lay down a wall of Large Calibre Machine Gun Fire and we are talking thousands of rounds a minute, think of an electrically powered Midi Gun, think of a wall of steal, i have seen this in action during War Games and it is very, very effective against this kind of missile, but the Moskva and her Captain are now at the Bottom of the Black Sea. Are we seeing a Modern Russia fighting a Modern war No, the reality is something else entirely, so they revert to Bombardment on a mass scale to make there advancements, as a military man of many years, i have never seen such a poor example of A World Super power in the field of Battle, huge losses in both Manpower on the ground, military Hardware lost, high ranking Officers right up to General Rank Dead, this is not how it should be playing out, but again it is, Putin will be remembered for these failures, even he must be wondering if anyone has the Bottle to tell him, he wanted a return back to the old days of the USSR, of Empire and Glory as a Legacy, when in reality he is being taught a lesson in how to Fight by both Ukraine's Professional Soldiers and Electricians, Plumbers, Builders, teachers etc who have put down there tools of there trades and picked up a Weapon, stood on a line and said, this is our home, if you want it, do not expect to take it without your blood being spilt, RF Forces has never seen anything of this kind and it is showing all over the country, i just hope all our western countries continue to send Lethal Aid in greater numbers. President Zelenskyy is saying we will fight them ourselves, all we ask is you keep us armed so we may continue fighting back, let us all hope this continues.
Every single one of us in the west, should support the Ukrainian people in any way we can, they are showing us how to live, fight and Die against a Military Super Powers unwarranted Aggression, i am in Awe and will do everything i can to help, i have had the Honour to serve with some truly Brave people in the past, but never have i seen so much Bravery across all ages, Genders and from a single Nationality, not ever, and believe me i have seen Genocide and ethnic cleansing, in two parts of the World up close.
Slava Ukraini .