"I'm not an expert on Alzheimer's disease, but I am an expert on loving someone who has it." – Lauren Dykovitz
You’re going to miss this someday. Whatever you’re going through right now. Whatever your biggest challenge is. The thing that drives you absolutely crazy and frustrates you to your core. You’re going to miss it someday. It seems like just yesterday I was driving my mom to the hairdresser or out to go shopping. She … Continue reading Someday You’re Going to Miss What Seems Hard Today
With this ring... This is my mom’s wedding ring. I saw it sitting on her dresser the last time I went home and it stopped me in my tracks. She hasn’t been able to wear it in years. She would play with it, taking it on and off her finger, and my dad was afraid … Continue reading Alzheimer’s Can’t Take Away Your Love
When I was 12 years old, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was getting ready for basketball practice one night, when I heard her whispering on the phone to my Aunt Diane. It sounded like something was going on, but she was trying to hide it. I asked her what she was talking … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Suffer in Silence
When I tell someone my mom has Alzheimer’s, the first thing they usually ask is, “Does she know who you are?” There was a time when I could confidently answer, “Yes, she does.” People always seemed so relieved to hear that. “Oh, that’s good!” While it was good that my mom still knew who I … Continue reading My Mom Knows Me
For those who don’t already know, I make a gratitude list after every FaceTime call with my mom and dad. I used to dread FaceTiming with them and I would hang up feeling so depressed. It made me not want to FaceTime with them. I would avoid it at all costs. I knew I had … Continue reading Here’s Why You Should Start a Gratitude Journal
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
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
