Joe's Quest

Joe Timassy

Joe's Quest. Alzheimer's Awareness Mega-Walk across America.  You can contact Joe by sending e-mail to him by clicking here. When asked what we can do to help, Penny wrote:

From: Joe F Timassy Thank you, everyone for offers of help, I will try to be more specific as we travel and can email back. Joe has one thing in mind, GAS, for support vehicle, and Food. I am concerned about a hot shower. Basics. And of course, water. A little bit of love or a lot of love and encouragement are also essential for the success of our journey. Penny of Joe's Quest. Joe Timassy is a 68 year old Early Onset Alzheimer's patient. Please e-mail Joe & Penny to encourage them on their journey. Back to Main Page

Joe's QUEST for Alzheimer's Web Page

Got a wonderful surprise this evening a call from Joe and Penny. ( If you go to Laura's site she has a link there) Now in Nashville ,Tennessee there are taking a bit of a respite from "Joe's Quest", and probably will be staying there for at least three weeks. Penny said they missed having a 'home', and were enjoying home cooked meals again. Both of them sound in fine spirits, looking forward to Washington D.C. It really is such an honor knowing these two - they do what many of us only give lip service to. They are spreading the word about Alz.D. wherever they go, their vehicle and hats are emblazoned with "Joe's Quest - to Find an End To Alzheimer's". They are being interviewed by newspapers and local T.V. stations. As well they fill many of their days visiting at care facilities and visiting with Alz.D. patients. They are to be admired and supported. If you get a chance drop them a note of encouragement (Joesjourney@aol.com) everyone needs a little food for the soul especially when they are so far and long gone from 'home'. As Joe would say "Armen" !

From: Joe & Penny

Hi all, we are in Highland, Tx. West of Houston. Leaving in morning to drive on 10 to 49 upwards to Natchi........., LA, to see an old buddy of Joe's from seminary days. >From there may go up to a few states to "mark them off our list" and then south and east again. Weather permitting. See where it was raining in California, so don't feel too sorry for ourselves. Have been lucky. Bye. Penny //

Jan, I still am befuddled about what they call computers, but I am learning and by gotta, I will win , Armenn. Joe. Penny & Joe:

JOE'S QUEST , a journey for Alzheimer's Awareness, is still in process, and Penny and Joe are now in El Paso, Texas. Will attach some digital photographs of some highlights of the journey such as the eclipse of the moon, a few weeks ago, taken at St. David Twin Lakes, Arizona,where Joe went to the Monastery to visit, Joe racking up some extra miles on the treadmill at motel, and Joe walking over the bridge to Juarez, Mexico.Penny writing at campsite.

We have gone to 5 states now, only 45 to go, if Joe is to meet his goal of all 50. The trip across the United States, zigzagging up and down, with the Interstate 10 as the basic route, the weather has been very good to us. It was 77 today, with a 40 low tonight.

Hope this email finds you fit and fancy, Love,

Penny and Joe

Subject: Joe's Quest. Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 13:50:35 -0800 From: "Joseph F. Timassy"

Subject. Joe's Quest Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:45:49 -0800 (PST) From: Penny Griebel <joepenny_2000@yahoo.com>

To: laura@ycsi.net

Laura and Morris. Joe and I are on the road, intermittently. The walk has turned out to be more of a Journey, and we are meeting lots more people this way. We are meeting lots of campers, and RV'ers, and they are the age bracket that will be dealing with Alzheimer's either themselves, or their parents. Joe is very effective with his bright flourescent hat that Mina made for him, says: Joe's Quest to find a cure for Alzheimer's. No one misses it! And the conversation starts. We are in Mesa grande, AZ. Will go to Tucson next, and when we feel the weather won't be too cold easterly, will push onward east. The southwest has been just lovely, in the mid to latter 70's.

Thank you for the great support, and we apologize for the delay in communication. I have been having tremendous trouble with my refurbished laptop compac, and the email system, my providers, long distance charges from hotel calls, etc. Finally changed to Yahoo, and am getting a little better results from the public library. Keep in touch. Penny & Joe.

Joe and Penny here in Casa Grande, Arizona. 3 nites at Horizon RV place for $29.95. Some kind of a travel club. Presentation Tues. 9 am. Might go out and seek the sights of the ruins of Mesa Grande after we see if the email works from the clubhouse connection here.

Joe says: A baby treadmill is the answer for his walk.He could walk miles every day on the treadmill to keep the legitimacy of the walk.

I forget what my brilliant thought for the day was, wrote it down, it is in satchel in the car, and Joe went to go to the car, but came back because he couldn't find the car . Too many RVs, and ours sits back, at end of the row. We look like a midget RV!

He's thinking longly to figure out what he wants to say to you. I will wait. They are having a jewelry display here, and hanging valentine decorations on the walls, Joe is irritated because I am not paying 199% to him and total attention.....

Joe: "Eurika! We have found the way of showing the world how I can show that I am walking as I had promised, like we did before. Here it comes, What did the people do at the Memory walk in Irvine? ..... And this is the safe way....because we do not have to worry about .... it would be eliminating dangerous walking ..........by walking via a treadmill. And it proves that we are REALLY WALKING!."

(We are having a debate on the accuracy of these thoughts, so to clarify, I ask Joe what the treadmill has to do with the planned structured walk route in Irvine??

Joe says: "They are giving their STRENGTHS!." "Just as when the doctor tells the person, to exercise, to walk, so that the person gets stronger, and stronger, and stronger. "The strength is going higher and higher and higher, it gains more strength!. Joe requires total eye contact while he talks to me, at all times, when he needs to express himself....

Joe explains that the lady put her head down, when she said that it would be too dangerous for Joe to do the walk, (This was before we left on the journey)..."but the walking will make him MORE strong, as the walk progresses, because we will be doing the BEST we can."

Joe: "You know the great big......we are going to go into the....it's a bigger thing, what do you call it? ....What do you call a thing like that????...Haaahhh....we're not taking just little things....what do the people go to....Honeyyyy" .... P:(I dont know...)

Joe:"What do you call a big ....."(I am writing as we go, it is importatnt for awareness of what he is going thru to communicate to me).

Joe: "What do you (call that? A big what. FOr God sake you ought to know.(P:).What you are talking about?).

Joe: " STOP.What do you call the thing? A walk. A megawalk. It creates more strength. Not little strengths. "

'YOU GAIN STRENGTH WITH WALKING. I keep walking, and walking and walking, and yet there will be no danger in the walking." In fact, it's safer than walking as I have surmised....... People who walk each day it makes them STRONGER. More mental accuity. They feel , they feel strength, and it is also tough, because you are steadily WALKING. Now, if that doesn't make sense, need I say more, Armennnn."

Joe gets up and walks out. I am sitting at a long table in a huge room with many tables with various activities going on simultaneously. The valentine decorating, the kitchen noise and the activity board, conversations, some men and women over there looking at some artwork, or photography, I hear.

I can't leave the computer, but can feel safe that he is safe in the RV park. I cannot tell you how exhausting it is for being the assistent in this situation. As you all know, I love Joe, so I do it, but it is definitely a strainful job. He requires so much energy from me, just to listen to him, and especially to record what he wants to say. This is why the writing of the journal/book is sporadic. Just making decisions for what we will do next, what he is trying to explain, what would be appropriate for us to do, etc, etc, etc.

Please be in my shoes for a moment and please be in his shoes for a moment, and you will have the awareness of this journey. The WALK is more than what involves the feet. We love you all, Penny and Joe.

P>S> We played card Bingo last night and Joe was learning how to put the cards in suits, first he got the reds and blacks separated, then he was catching on to the different shapes on the cards. He is learning in all areas by whatever experiences we have. Unplanned is great! He probably would not have chosen to plan playing bingo cards. P.