Hair Washing Day

He seems to think he's part of the family

My brother stopped by to visit my mom last week. They talked for a while, and everything seemed perfectly normal. After he left, she turned to me and said " I don't know what that man was, but he seems to think he's part of the family. It's a story that's funny at first, but also reminds us how Alzheimer's can change recognition while leaving so much of a person's personality and humor intact. In this episode, I share what happened, what was going through my mind and why moments like these are heartbreaking and strangely funny.

2:30 am with Baby Paul

At 2:30 am, my mom woke up terrified. She was convinced her baby Paul, had crawled out of bed and was on the floor. The only problem? Im 54 years old, and I was sitting just a few feet away watching her search for the little boy she remembere.d For the next hour and a half I found myself living in her reality, trying to comfort a frightened mother whose memories had carried her back more than 50 years. This is the story of one surreal night that perfectly captures what Alzheimer's caregiving can be like.

"No....I'd remember that."

I sat down to record this week and was convinced that I had nothing to share. In fact, I almost reused an old story because the days all blend together and I forgot. Two hours after lunch, my mom gave me a great gift..another funny story. She saved the day! In this episode, I use this story as an example of how caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's can be very strange. Its repetitive, sad, funny, and frustrating all at the same time. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's , I hope you will appreciate this, or find something familiar here. Thanks for listening!

Have You met my son Paul?

In this episode, I share more behind the scenes moments in a normal day as the caregiver to my mom with Alzheimer's I share a few funny, yet typical stories. they are a bit zany, and also a bit sad. The roller coaster continues.... Living as a 24/7 caregiver is full of emotion ( I don't cry, don't worry) There is never a dull moment.

A day in the life...

In this episode, I share my day to day experiences as a caregiver to my 89 year old mom with Alzheimer's. This is episode number 8. My other episodes have mostly shared one particular experience. This episode is more reflective.