Alzheimer’s is not the end of the world; it just seems like it. Nothing in my life has been more heartbreaking than watching my best friend and the lady I have loved for more than fifty years slowly slip away into an endless world of confusion and disconnection. While life has gone on all around us, like other Alzheimer’s families, we tried to find happiness in rapidly fading memories. But even that was short-lived.
This book is my account of our Alzheimer’s experience: the challenges, emotions, lessons, and ephemeral joys of the journey. Writing it has been cathartic for me, but while no two Alzheimer’s journeys are exactly alike, I hope learning about our experiences will help other caregivers as they negotiate the challenges they face. Welcome to the club that nobody wants to join.
Fortunately, as difficult as the Alzheimer’s challenge is, the disease also presents opportunities for personal growth and understanding. Questions about life, health, death, faith, values, community, family, and purpose that might otherwise remain unaddressed are foisted upon us. Whether they are welcomed or not, this may be Alzheimer’s only blessing.
Our story is recalled from four and half years of my journal entries. The appendix explores related issues in greater depth.