Download or read book Five Minutes of Amazing written by Chris Graham and published by Sphere. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This story poses a profound question - do we accept the hand that fate deals us, or do we battle to make the most of the life we have and help others in the process? Chris Graham, just 38 years old but already facing the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, has emphatically chosen the latter. Having lived through a troubled childhood, Chris joined the British Army at a young age and found that the life of a soldier provided him with a much-needed sense of stability. However, his world was turned upside down when, at just 34 years of age, he was diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia. This brutal disease had already claimed the life of his father at 42, along with several other members of his family, and tragically had already confined his brother to a nursing home at the age of 43. In his brother's life, Chris could see a terrifying window into his own near future. Chris, though, is an extraordinary human being. Having been handed nothing less than a death sentence, he decided overnight to stand up to this horrendous disease and do something to leave his mark before it was too late. And so it was that last year, Chris embarked on an awareness-raising 16,000-mile solo cycle around North America, armed only with his bike, a sense of humour, and some good old-fashioned British grit. Leaving his ever-supportive wife Vicky and baby son Dexter at home, he took on huge challenges - for instance, the fear that the ability to discern left from right might leave him at any point while navigating an entire continent - and made it home in time for Christmas, determined to spending however long he has left pouring his love and attention into his family life. Five Minutes of Amazing is both the story of Chris' epic journey and of his fight against the disease increasingly being recognised as the defining disease of our generation. Inspiring and heart-rending in equal measure, it's as important as it is moving, and it will touch everyone who reads it.

Download or read book In Search of My Father written by Helena Popovic and published by Outwitting Alzheimer's. This book was released on 2022-03-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After her mother dies, an estranged daughter discovers that her father has Alzheimer's - the very disease she has spent her medical career trying to cure. This timeless book shows we can improve our brain even after a diagnosis of dementia.

Download or read book All Gone written by Alex Witchel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Haunting, unflinching and at times unexpectedly hilarious…A powerful affirmation of family bonds.” –The New York Times Book Review A daughter’s longing love letter to a mother who has slipped beyond reach. Just past seventy, Alex Witchel’s smart, adoring, ultracapable mother began to exhibit undeniable signs of dementia. Her smart, adoring, ultracapable daughter reacted as she’d been raised: If something was broken, they would fix it. But as medical reality undid that hope, and her mother continued the torturous process of disappearing in plain sight, Witchel retreated to the kitchen, trying to reclaim her mother at the stove by cooking the comforting foods of her childhood: “Is there any contract tighter than a family recipe?” Reproducing the perfect meat loaf was no panacea, but it helped Witchel come to terms with her predicament, the growing phenomenon of “ambiguous loss” — loss of a beloved one who lives on. Gradually she developed a deeper appreciation for all the ways the parent she was losing lived on in her, starting with the daily commandment “Tell me everything that happened today” that started a future reporter and writer on her way. And she was inspired to turn her experience into this frank, bittersweet, and surprisingly funny account that offers true balm for an increasingly familiar form of heartbreak.

Download or read book My Adventure an Encounter with Life written by William Millard and published by Archway Publishing. This book was released on 2020-03-10 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bill Millard is a commercial attorney with an international law firm in Dallas, Texas, and life could not be better. On top of his lucrative job, he is married with two wonderful children, lives in a nice neighborhood with great schools, and is a proud Texan. But his world comes crashing down as his health starts to decline. At first, it’s not clear what is wrong, but then he is diagnosed with several near-fatal diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which is a progressive nervous system disease that causes a loss of muscle control. He loses his family, career, home, and health. After a period in a comatose state, he wakes up as a quadriplegic, suffering severe seizures. He is unable to eat, drink, swallow, speak, stand, breathe without respiratory care, or carry on life as he knew it. In this inspiring memoir, Millard reveals how he coped with his diagnosis and made a miraculous recovery, spending seven-plus years fighting for his life in long-term health care facilities, physical rehabilitation facilities, and other centers. Millard’s story also offers a unique first-hand patient’s perspective as to what it is like to live in skilled and senior healthcare facilities today, containing many observations on what he thinks makes a better facility for patients and their families.

Download or read book Everything Left to Remember written by Steph Jagger and published by Flatiron Books. This book was released on 2022-04-26 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This will cast a spell on fans of Cheryl Strayed and Glennon Doyle." - Publishers Weekly Between Two Kingdoms meets Wild. In this heart wrenching and inspirational memoir a woman and her mother, who is suffering from dementia, embark on a road trip through national parks, revisiting the memories, and the mountains, that made them who they are. Steph Jagger lost her mother before she lost her. Her mother, stricken with an incurable disease that slowly erases all sense of self, struggles to remember her favorite drink, her favorite song, and—perhaps most heartbreaking of all—Steph herself. Steph watches as the woman who loved and raised her slips away before getting the chance to tell her story, and so Steph makes a promise: her mother will walk it and she will write it. Too aware of her mother’s waning memory, Steph proposes that the two take a camping trip out to Montana—which her mother, on the urging of Steph’s father, agrees to embark upon. An adventure full of horseback riding, hiking, and “tenting” out West quickly turns into one woman’s reflection on childhood, motherhood, personhood—and what it means to love someone who doesn’t quite remember the person she spent her lifetime becoming. A staggeringly beautiful examination of how stories are passed down through generations and from Mother Nature, Everything Left to Remember brings us the wisdom of who our memories make us under the constellations of the vast Montana sky.

Download or read book Long Live the Queen written by Bryan Kozlowski and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does this crown make me look old?” said the Queen never. Her longevity, health and physical stamina are legendary. Now the longest reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II has spent over half a century on the throne, rarely taking a sick day and, in her tenth decade, remains amazingly comfortable in her own skin. How does one do it, Ma’am? For the first time, step behind Palace doors to unlock the little-known strategies behind the Queen’s remarkable self-preservation. Investigating the 23 rules of her iconic resilence, you’ll learn how to channel your inner royal – at work, at play, or at the table – in this fascinating plunge into the House of Windsor’s famous fountain of youth. Extensively researched and delightfully revelatory, it’s the story of how one strong queen can make stronger, happier, healthier subjects of us all. Long live you!

Download or read book Adventures with Alzheimer s written by Andrea Lee and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2019-05-30 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adventures with Alzheimer’s is a glimpse into the life of a daughter caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease. You will laugh, cry, and even shake your head at times throughout their journey. If you are, or know someone, in a similar situation, this will give insight and power to know how to deal with similar situations. Learn what love, compassion, and understanding can overcome.

Download or read book Living with Lewy Body Dementia written by Judy Towne Jennings Pt Ma and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2012-09 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Judy is a wonderful physical therapist, who has energy, enthusiasm and the best 'can do' attitude. She has accurately given a description of the major task of 'in-home care' that most people cannot understand. I applaud her efforts; both the monumental task of care for Dean (who was a super guy) and writing this helpful book. Job well done!" -Joyce Dunlevy Cready, RN, BSN, Rehabilitation "I want to commend Mrs. Jennings on the work done to put together this book. It will be a valuable resource for patients and caregivers, and provides an honest and thoughtful look at her experiences with LBD. It was an honor to care for Dean and I know that her work with him and in this book will help others who are going through the same difficult life journey." -Andrew P. Duker, MD, Neurology "This book is medically appropriate and concise. The information has breadth that is not available in other books. I will recommend it to all my patients with Lewy Body Dementia." -James P. Simcoe, MD, Family Practice "What an outstanding caregiver and loving wife to share this most personal knowledge, gained from her heartfelt experience with Lewy Body Dementia." - Peter A. Towne, PT, FAPTA Linda L. Towne, PT, MEd, Orthopedic and Neurological Physical Therapy

Download or read book The Last Ocean written by Nicci Gerrard and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-08-11 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the award-winning journalist and author, a lyrical, raw and humane investigation of dementia that explores both the journeys of the people who live with the condition and those of their loved ones After a diagnosis of dementia, Nicci Gerrard’s father, John, continued to live life on his own terms, alongside the disease. But when an isolating hospital stay precipitated a dramatic turn for the worse, Gerrard, an award-winning journalist and author, recognized that it was not just the disease, but misguided protocol and harmful practices that cause such pain at the end of life. Gerrard was inspired to seek a better course for all who suffer because of the disease. The Last Ocean is Gerrard’s investigation into what dementia does to both the person who lives with the condition and to their caregivers. Dementia is now one of the leading causes of death in the West, and this necessary book will offer both comfort and a map to those walking through it. While she begins with her father’s long slip into forgetting, Gerrard expands to examine dementia writ large. Gerrard gives raw but literary shape both to the unimaginable loss of one’s own faculties, as well as to the pain of their loved ones. Her lens is unflinching, but Gerrard honors her subjects and finds the beauty and the humanity in their seemingly diminished states. In so doing, she examines the philosophy of what it means to have a self, as well as how we can offer dignity and peace to those who suffer with this terrible disease. Not only will it aid those walking with dementia patients, The Last Ocean will prompt all of us to think on the nature of a life well lived.

Download or read book Dementia and Social Work Practice written by Carole B. Cox, PhD and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2007-04-15 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Practical coverage of driving, day care, support groups, and respite is particularly welcome. This is a good book to have available, not just for social work faculty and students, but also for those in the health sciences, psychology, and sociology. It will be a useful resource for professionals coping with the increasing problems for family and community that an aging population and the epidemic of Alzheimer's disease bring with them....Recommended. Lower-level undergraduate through professionals/practitioners."--Choice Beyond the immediate and devastating effects dementia can have on individuals and their quality of life are the strains that are placed on the families, caregivers, and communities that support them. Social workers are in a unique position to address all these issues at the same time that they provide care for individuals with dementia. To facilitate the entrance of social workers into this area of care, Carol B. Cox has edited a volume of expert articles on the biological, psychological, and social aspects of dementia. . Readers will learn the latest assessment instruments, as well as how to distinguish between Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's dementias. Intervention strategies for every stage of dementia are presented. The effects of culture and diversity on the treatment of persons with dementia are examined, including examples of successful programs from several countries. The benefits and drawbacks of adult day services, community care, and residential care are discussed. Finally, a discussion of the legal, financial, and psychological stresses faced by caregivers of those with dementia rounds out this much needed text.

Download or read book Dear Alzheimer s written by Keith Oliver and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. This book was released on 2019-04-18 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to live a full and rewarding life after a dementia diagnosis. Keith Oliver was diagnosed with young onset dementia at the age of 55. Unaware at the time that dementia could affect people of this age, Keith set out to increase public awareness of the condition and dispel the myths about the illness. Using a unique diary format, this intimate and empowering memoir captures what everyday life with dementia is like, offering both a candid look at its struggles, and a profoundly moving account of Keith's journey to live a full life afterwards.

Download or read book Dancing on Quicksand written by Marilyn Mitchell and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This moment of hope for those who must accept and embrace a new version of Mom or Dad . . . shows us that while we lament what we are loving, there are endless possibilities for enjoying the moments that remain (Fawn Germer, author of Hard Won Wisdom).

Download or read book The Loss of Small White Clouds written by Morgan Batch and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-08-09 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume seeks to instigate a discussion about dementia in theatre. The discussions in this book borrow from the literature on dementia’s representation in other artforms, while reflecting on theatre’s unique capacity to incorporate multiple artforms in a live context (hypermediacy). The author examines constructions of diegesis and the use of various performance tools, including physical theatre, puppetry, and postdramatic performance. She discusses stage representations of interior experiences of dementia; selfhood in dementia; the demarcation of those with dementia from those without; endings, erasure, and the pursuit of catharsis; placelessness and disruptions of traditional dramatic constructions of time; and ultimately, performances creatively led by people with dementia. The book traces patterns of narrativisation on the stage—including common dramaturgical forms, settings, and character relationships—as well as examples that transcend mainstream representation. This book is important reading for theatre and performance students, scholars, and practitioners, as well as cultural studies writers engaged in research about narratives of dementia.

Download or read book Remember Me written by Eileen Anderson and published by Dogwise Publishing. This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Remember Me? is an award-winning guidebook for owners of dogs who are losing their mental faculties as they age, and the story of a dog and owner who retained their bond through this most difficult situation. If you have an aging dog, Remember Me? will give you the information you need to weather the difficult condition and give your dog the most fulfilling life possible. In Remember Me, you will learn: • About the symptoms of canine cognitive dysfunction, medications and other interventions that are showing promise in treating the condition; • How to adapt your home and habits to keep your dog safe; • The many products available to solve the problems of senior dogs; • How to make things easier on yourself, physically and emotionally; and • The complex question of euthanasia and how to make your own decision about it. The story of author Eileen Anderson's small terrier Cricket, who developed dementia, is threaded through the book. As Cricket's dementia worsened she paced, she circled, she stood in corners, she forgot what she was doing, and at times she lost and found her owner repeatedly. For the last weeks of her life she even forgot how to drink water. As Cricket's condition deteriorated and needs changed, Anderson learned about the disease and developed methods to care for her dog. She shares these methods in Remember Me? and her calm, conversational tone is soothing to dog owners who are suffering--sometimes more than their dogs. Remember Me? won the 2016 Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers Association of America for a book on health, behavior, or general care.

Download or read book Grandma Forgets written by Paul Russell and published by Exisle Publishing. This book was released on 2017-08-01 with total page 27 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Breakfast Memories written by Kate Hanley and published by Green Place Books. This book was released on 2019-08-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breakfast Memories is the story of a daughter's journey through her mom's dementia and her discovery of the power of memories stored in the soul. What prompted me to begin writing this book was the discovery of a pile of paper napkins that had been tucked away in a drawer on which my dad had written morning love poems to my mom. Every morning he placed one next to the breakfast that he had prepared for her. I found these napkins after my dad had died and my mom was in failing health at a local nursing home. The discovery of the napkins (sonnets) and sharing them with my mother was what brought her back from the darkness and despair of dementia.

Download or read book Pulling Taffy written by Tinky Weisblat and published by . This book was released on 2013-02 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writer and singer Tinky Weisblat kept a journal during the final year of her mother's life. Jan Weisblat was 93 and suffered from dementia. "Pulling Taffy" shares journal entries, history, family photographs, and recipes that document their time together. It pays tribute to the vibrant spirit of Jan, whom her daughter called Taffy. This informal, candid memoir explores the ways in which Taffy's view of the world changes as her Alzheimer's disease develops ... and the ways in which it remains the same. Tinky and Taffy move through frustration to joy as they learn to embrace life despite the dementia. They survive their ups and downs with the help of community, music, nature, pets, and laughter. "I began by writing about what I was losing," writes Tinky toward the end of the book. "Somewhere along the line I started writing about what I was finding. In short, a burden was transformed into a privilege." "Pulling Taffy" will inspire caregivers and other people going through stressful situations. And its combination of sweetness and humor will appeal to the general reading public.