Until I started researching and living Alzheimer’s with my mom – nobody told me about the three levels of this disease. But I’ve seen them again and again as I’ve talked with other caregivers and observed my mom. Level One: Your loved one begins to realize something isn’t quite right. He forgets where he parked …
We sat around the table at the house where my critique group met. Each of us took our turn, reading our precious words and waiting for responses from the other writers. I knew my group liked my main character – Reverend G, that feisty little minister who struggles to find her purpose within the shadows …
It happens every time. As soon as I turn away from my mother’s door in assisted living and walk down the hallway – away from her, the emotions hit me. You’d think I would be used to them by now. For ten years my family struggled with Dad’s dementia and all the accompanying emotions. …
When life unravels into Alzheimer’s or dementia, it’s important for caregivers to carry survival tools. As I speak in various venues throughout the metro and beyond, I share these survival tools.This week, I had the opportunity of sharing these tips with professionals at the Chem Council in Kansas City. With 43 million caregivers in the …
This happens every time I do a speaking event. Someone in the audience either reaches for a tissue or wipes their tears away. Sometimes, from the people in the front rows, I see tears puddle in their eyes. Maybe it’s because my topic is usually centered around my mother’s Alzheimer’s or my father’s dementia. Maybe …
Forgive Me. Several times throughout the book, Reverend G tells her son, “Please forgive me.” As I wrote “The Unraveling of Reverend G” and researched more about this horrid disease, I told my son, “If I get dementia or Alzheimer’s and act weird, I apologize already. Please forgive me. I didn’t want this to happen.” …
Healthcare professionals emphasize the importance of caregivers taking care of themselves. Reverend G would agree. We can’t sit beside the bed day after day without a respite. We’ll go crazy. We need to take a break. We need to utilize the daycare centers for Alzheimer’s patients and share our struggles with support groups. We may …
Remember. When I grit my teeth, because I’ve told her seven times, “Put in your hearing aid” – remember how she reminded me to wash my hair and brush my teeth. When I have to help her get dressed – remember all the times she dressed me and plaited my hair into braids. When I …
On a beautiful evening in August, we launched “The Unraveling of Reverend G.” Some writers don’t like to mess with a book launch—too much work when they’d rather be in front of the keyboard, creating fascinating plots and characters. My incredible marketing team helped put the evening together. Genie, Melissa, Tricia and Patti. Then at …
Keep Laughing. We all know the importance of humor and how it helps us stay healthy. Even though dementia and Alzheimer’s represent horrid struggles of memory loss and personality change, we can still look for the humor and keep laughing. My family lives on an Oklahoma farm where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains …