December 30, 2004

Making a difference, one recipe at a time

Daughter creates tribute to her mother with cookbook to benefit Alzheimer’s Association

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Alzheimer’s Disease strikes without warning. Simple things like not remembering phone numbers or grocery lists, or making dinner and forgetting to serve several courses can be a sign that something is wrong. From there, the illness progresses until the patient doesn’t recognize their own family, friends or even themselves and needs constant care.

Traci Post with cookies made from recipes in “Meals to Remember Family Cookbook.”

Traci Post’s mother, Patricia Calderon, is in the mid to late stages of Alzheimer’s. The 63-year-old loved to cook for her husband, David, and five children throughout her life. She is the inspiration for Post’s book, “Meals to Remember Family Cookbook,” with all net proceeds donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“It’s doing something positive and knowing in some way it’s making a difference,” Post said regarding her recent completion of the 270-page book that compiles 350 favorite family recipes and remembrances of families stricken by the disease. The Almaden resident has had to be patient, collecting “one recipe at a time and getting a collaboration of people who are affected by [the disease].”

Post’s mother had always wanted to write a cookbook of her favorite recipes. Traci grew up watching her mom cook in the kitchen, creating and experimenting with El Dorado casserole, cold dough cakes and a “can-I-bring-something” salad. The young girl watched and listened to her mother’s dreams, never suspecting what the future would hold. Five years ago, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the family watched the disintegration of an astute, loving woman.

Earlier this year, the 34-year-old Post felt helpless watching the progression of her mom’s disease and asked herself what she could do. She remembered her mother’s words “to give back” and asked friends and family to submit recipes and memories. She chose forget me not flowers as the cover and dividers throughout the book and enlisted the help of her husband of eight years, Dan, for layout and design. Her degree in public relations from San Jose State University proved invaluable in finding a publisher and in the promotion of the book and in finding the loving people included in the cookbook. And, her father, David Calderon, provided the necessary funding.

“Traci is an amazing young woman who has really dedicated herself to this project,” Patti Skavdahl who lives next door to Post and contributed a banana bran muffin recipe besides enlisting support from Almaden Country Club members for recipes and remembrances . “Her goal is to raise $25,000 for the Alzheimer’s Organization. It is so special that she came up with the idea. As a neighbor, I’m really proud of her.”

Post also spread the word through the Mountain View Alzheimer’s Organization [ALZ.org] and received recipes, nostalgia and orders for the book from all over the United States. The cookbook represents a litany of family traditions, special memories of loved ones and tasty recipes. It is also a daughter fulfilling one of her mother’s dreams.

“This collaborative cookbook is a unifying project that truly connects families forever touched by this devastating disease,” said Jill Center, communications director for the Alzheimer’s Association in Northern California/Northern Nevada. “We hope for a wonderful experience by those participating in the cookbook and we are delighted that this especially poignant compilation will be available as a gift. With this designated contribution from sales to the Alzheimer’s Association, those touched by Alzheimer’s have another chance to take care of loved ones.”

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As the illness progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. A Gallup poll commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association found that one in 10 Americans said that they had a family member with Alzheimer’s and one in three knew someone with the disease. With the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, some say Alzheimer’s could be a major health crisis in the United States soon. People with the illness die an average of eight years after first experiencing symptoms, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years. There is no cure at this time though certain drugs may help with the emotional and behavioral symptoms. None is available to stop the underlying degeneration of brain cells.

Post’s mom has “her good days and bad days.” She has been taking the new drug Namenda for the past five months and is more alert, forming sentences—though not necessarily coherently. Post’s father, David Calderon, said “she’s like a candle that grows dimmer and dimmer every day.”

“It’s hard to accept that this is my mom now,” Post said eyes tearing. “As you grow up there’s this expectation of how your life is going to be. I had these dreams of my parents as grandparents and that’s not the case. I spend my time taking care of my mom rather than her taking care of grandkids. It affects so many families. That’s one of the reasons I really wanted to do the book. The Alzheimer Association offers the families
support groups and information regarding the progression of the disease.”

Post’s mother was with her when the shipment of the cookbooks was delivered last week. She was having a good day and said to her youngest daughter, “you really did it!” Post responded with “actually we did it, Mom.”

For more information on “Meals to Remember Family Cookbook,” contact Traci Post at traci@contentlab.com or call (408) 927-6583 or visit www.alznorcal.org.