"I'm not an expert on Alzheimer's disease, but I am an expert on loving someone who has it." – Lauren Dykovitz
When my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I didn’t know that she would eventually stop looking at the camera. Not because she didn’t want her picture taken, but because she had no idea what that meant. I didn’t know that she would have a distant look in her eyes, that she would no longer look … Continue reading Take the Picture
I had a doctor’s appointment the other day and while the nurse was taking my vitals, she told me how much she liked my bracelets. Normally, I would just say thank you, but that day I decided to add that the bracelets are for Alzheimer’s awareness. She told me that her grandmother had Alzheimer’s and … Continue reading The Stories That Bind Us
They say to write what you know. I know the pain of losing a parent to Alzheimer’s. I know the pain of grieving the loss of someone you love before they even die. I know the pain of losing more and more of your mom every day. I know the pain of trying to learn … Continue reading I Know the Pain of Alzheimer’s, But I Also Know the Love
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to the beach for a few days. It was a much needed mini-vacay to relax and unwind. I was sitting there on the beach one day, reading a mindless, light book, when it hit me. It had been hours since I thought about my mom and … Continue reading Don’t Let Alzheimer’s Steal All of Your Joy
The sky is turning dark. The clouds are rolling in. As you see the storm approaching, you might feel worried and scared. Your stomach is in knots. Your voice catches in your throat. It’s hard to speak the words you know are true. A bad storm is coming. You hear the clap of thunder. You … Continue reading Beauty Can Be Found Amidst the Storm
My mom started hospice care about three weeks ago. Although I’ve known this was coming for quite some time, it was still upsetting to hear that her in-home healthcare nurse had suggested it to my dad. I knew she would be approved immediately upon an evaluation. During my visits over the last several months, I’ve … Continue reading How Can You Go on Living While Someone Is Dying?
These are the hands that held me as I took my first breaths. The hands that fed me and changed my diapers and rocked me to sleep at night. The hands that helped me learn to crawl and walk and later, ride a bike. These are the hands that packed my lunches and helped me … Continue reading These Are the Hands That Made Me
I started writing my mom’s eulogy the other day. Not on paper, but in my head. Nothing has happened. Nothing has changed. In fact, things are pretty much the same as they have been for some time now. But we are coming up on the nine-year anniversary of her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. July 2010. And I’ve … Continue reading I Worry About My Mom’s Death Every Day
I opened up my Facebook memories this morning to see pictures from my bridal shower, which was around this time eight years ago. In one of the pictures, I’m sitting in a chair, opening gifts, and my mom is standing behind me, looking absolutely clueless. She was about a year into her Alzheimer’s diagnosis at … Continue reading Forgive Yourself for What You Didn’t Know, When You Didn’t Know It
When I was about eight or nine years old, I saw a Mother’s Day ad for Boscov’s that claimed you could buy your mom a beautiful gold locket for just $0.99. Holy crap! Just $0.99?! I immediately decided that I wanted to get my mom that locket for Mother’s Day. I was so excited to … Continue reading Mother’s Day for the Motherless
