"I'm not an expert on Alzheimer's disease, but I am an expert on loving someone who has it." – Lauren Dykovitz
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
What has Alzheimer’s taught me? I’m not even sure where to start. For one thing, Alzheimer’s has taught me that family is everything. When I was in high school and college, all I really cared about was spending time with my friends. I was always so afraid of missing out on something. I’d say that’s … Continue reading What Has Alzheimer’s Taught You?
This morning I went for a nice four-mile run. I changed my route a little bit, as I’m still having fun exploring the different areas around my new home. I ran around a large pond that I’ve driven by several times, but had yet to run in that direction. I saw several sandhill cranes and … Continue reading Two Parallel Lives
I had the best Facetime call with my mom yesterday afternoon. It was an absolute gift. But, it didn’t start out that way. My dad is supposed to have in-home coverage on the weekends, but that has been a real crapshoot, especially recently. You can read my blog post The Problem with Home Health Care … Continue reading Keep Showing Up
Over the last eight years since my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I have developed a love-hate relationship with the following question, “How’s your mom?” When my mom was first diagnosed, I didn’t really tell anyone and I never wanted to talk about it. But since only a limited number of people knew anyway, … Continue reading Ask or Don’t Ask?
Welcome to Episode 5 of The Life, Love, and Alzheimer's Podcast! If your loved one has Alzheimer's or dementia, then you know what it's like to grieve the loss of someone who is still living. It is not an actual, physical death, but it is still a death. Here are my real, raw, and deeply … Continue reading Episode 5: Grieving Someone Who Is Still Alive
About a year and a half ago, my dad started using a home health care agency to provide in-home care for my mom. I had been a part-time caregiver for my mom off and on for a few years before I finally admitted to myself and others that I couldn’t handle it anymore. I was … Continue reading The Problem with Home Health Care
Those of you who follow me know that I just launched The Life, Love, and Alzheimer’s Podcast last week. I initially had the idea to start a podcast back in May. I spent a lot of time researching podcasts, how to create them, what tools to use, etc. I spent even more time teaching myself … Continue reading Catch-22
Welcome to Episode 3 of The Life, Love, and Alzheimer's Podcast! Who here has ever felt like they're never doing enough to care for their loved one? Probably everyone who is reading this! Guilt is a very common feeling when caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer's disease. It's easy to question whether or not … Continue reading Episode 3: Guilt
Welcome to Episode 2 of The Life, Love, and Alzheimer's Podcast! People often ask me about the first signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's that I noticed in my mom. It can be hard to determine whether the symptoms you're noticing are a cause for concern or just simply a part of normal aging. Listen to … Continue reading Episode 2: The First Signs and Symptoms
