"I'm not an expert on Alzheimer's disease, but I am an expert on loving someone who has it." – Lauren Dykovitz
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
Do you ever stop to think about when was the last time your loved one did something? When was the last time you took your mom out to lunch or to go shopping? When was the last time your dad came over your house to fix something? When was the last time your wife cooked … Continue reading Here’s Why Losing a Loved One to Alzheimer’s Is so Hard
Guilt. Everyone feels it. Everyone talks about it. Everyone tries their best to avoid it by doing the right thing. But, no one ever tells you that there really is no way around it. Sometimes, no matter how many good things you do, you still find something to feel guilty about. This is especially true … Continue reading The Guilt Will Bury You Alive, If You Let It
I see you, Alzheimer’s Daughter, trying to smile through the pain. I know how much it hurts. You feel as if both of your parents have just disappeared, vanished into some other world. Alzheimer’s World. They are gone forever. Only they’re not really gone. They’re still alive and, maybe, they live just a few miles … Continue reading I See You, Alzheimer’s Daughter
The following is a guest post written and submitted by Jeannine O'Neil. One day, I was listening to music on YouTube and Lady Gaga’s song “The Cure” popped up. I stopped and listened to the words. “If I can't find the cure, I'll I'll fix you with my love No matter what you … Continue reading The Power of Love
As most of you know, I moved away from my parents for my husband’s job about a year ago. The past year has been quite an adjustment for me, as I was used to seeing my mom a few times a week and now I only see her a few times a year. It has … Continue reading Feeling Helpless
My mom went all out for St. Patrick’s Day in 2009. She started planning it weeks ahead of time and invited all of us over to have ham and cabbage that night. I remember thinking how random it all seemed. Sure, we were a bunch of Mc’s, but no one had ever made a big … Continue reading A St. Patrick’s Day Lesson
I’ll never forget the first time my mom looked at me and didn’t know who I was. The mall was ridiculously crowded that day, the way it usually is around Christmas time. We navigated our way through the food court and my mom saved us a table in front of Saladworks. I could see her … Continue reading I’m Sorry That My Grief Makes You Uncomfortable
The following is a guest post written by Jeannine O’Neil on 2/27/19. My mom has been gone for 9 days. She passed away peacefully in her sleep after a 7-year battle with Vascular Dementia. I am sharing my story of healing to hopefully shed light on the other side to those who are currently suffering, … Continue reading There Is Hope For Peace After Loss
