For a long time during my mom's Alzheimer's battle, I mostly focused on what I had lost--not what I still had. That left me feeling sad, hopeless, and depressed almost all of the time. At some point, I decided that I needed to do something different to better cope with what I was going through. … Continue reading Ep 8: Using Gratitude to Cope with What You’re Going Through
Author: Lauren Dykovitz
Lauren Dykovitz lives in New Jersey with her husband and two black labs, Oakley and Lucy. Lauren is a writer, author, and mentor for Alzheimer's daughters. Aside from writing her own blog, Lauren has been a contributing writer to several other websites and blogs. Lauren has also self-published two books, "Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's" and "When Only Love Remains: Surviving My Mom's Battle with Early Onset Alzheimer's." Both books are available on Amazon.
Ep 7: How to Stop Feeling So Much Guilt
Do you ever feel guilty when it comes to caring for your loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia? If you answered yes, you're not alone! Virtually every single caregiver I've ever spoken to feels guilty about something, or many things. I learned that no matter how much I did for my mom, I always found … Continue reading Ep 7: How to Stop Feeling So Much Guilt
Ep 6: An Introduction and My Alzheimer’s Story
Welcome to a brand new episode of The Life, Love, and Alzheimer's Podcast! This is long overdue! As you may know, I originally launched this podcast back in 2018. I gave up after recording only five episodes, and I am so excited to be relaunching this podcast today! Click play to hear: My background, my … Continue reading Ep 6: An Introduction and My Alzheimer’s Story
I Have Some Exciting News to Share!
I’m so excited to announce that I am re-launching The Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s Podcast! As you may know, I originally started this podcast back in 2018. I recorded five episodes and then quit. At the time, my mom was still alive and I was living far away from her. She was in Delaware with … Continue reading I Have Some Exciting News to Share!
My Mom Would Be Proud of the Woman I’ve Become
We buried my mom three years ago today. I want to hug both women in the photo below, but the girl on the right—I want to grab her and squeeze her and tell her she’s going to be okay. Getting ready for her mom’s funeral, wearing her mom’s sweater in her mom’s favorite color. Standing … Continue reading My Mom Would Be Proud of the Woman I’ve Become
My Thoughts on Grief Three Years After My Mom Died
Three years ago today, I was having coffee for the first time in our new house, when my dad called to tell me that my mom had died. It seemed so unexpected, but in reality, it was not. On that day and the days that immediately followed, the grief was fresh and raw. I tried … Continue reading My Thoughts on Grief Three Years After My Mom Died
Do You Ever Just Get Sick of Your Own Shit?
Do you ever just get sick of your own shit? Like there’s something you want to do or something you know you should be doing, but you just keep coming up with excuses not to do it? And then one day you realize it’s been six months and you still haven’t done that thing you … Continue reading Do You Ever Just Get Sick of Your Own Shit?
Focusing on the Good Is a Choice
Whenever I share something about being positive or changing your perspective, I always get a little push back. “Easier said than done.” “Easy to say when you’re not going through it.” “It’s easy to be positive when you’re looking back. It’s hard to do when you’re in the thick of it.” Now that I’m on … Continue reading Focusing on the Good Is a Choice
We Never Know How Many Birthdays We’ll Get to Have
Today would have been my mom’s 75th birthday. Instead, it’s the third one without her here. Sometimes I forget that my mom died so young. I hesitate to even call 72 young because I know so many people have died so much younger than that, but I also know so many people who have lived … Continue reading We Never Know How Many Birthdays We’ll Get to Have
Stop Putting So Much Pressure on Yourself to Make This Holiday Season Something Big
So many of us put so much pressure on ourselves to have this perfectly magical holiday season just because we feel like we’re supposed to have a perfectly magical holiday season. We run around trying to do everything we possibly can to make it “good enough” and we try to make everyone else happy while … Continue reading Stop Putting So Much Pressure on Yourself to Make This Holiday Season Something Big