Finding the Joy in Alzheimer's: Caregivers Share the Joyful Times

I'm an older (born 12/12/1952) Internet user, so--in spite of all of those reassuring, little, gold padlocks shown at the bottom of ordering pages at online stores--I still wasn't ready to put my main credit card or checking account information out in Cyberspace. So, I came up with a doable solution, creating an account for just this very purpose.If purchasing this book wasn't actually my FIRST venture into the unfamiliar territory of online shopping (and I'm almost 100% sure that it was), it came pretty close.Venturing out into this unfamiliar territory has had more positives than negatives for me--but there's that unfamiliar territory that is among the worst nightmares of both patients and caregivers: dealing with Alzheimer's Disease.I had been reading the online letters that Debbie Center had been writing to a mother who would never again have the comprehension to read them--so, these letters were more for Debbie than her mother. And more for helping others who might read those letters to cope should something like this happen in their families.One day, in an IM conversation, Debbie shared her sadness with me that her mother was rapidly going downhill, and she felt helpless to stop it from happening--yet, she also had the great news that she would have a part in this book.And that's the thread running through this book: the moments of joy found within the Alzheimer's experience. The people who have contributed to this book are people who mourn the slipping away of those people--generally, parents and spouses--who were once so vibrant and alert.Yet, these same people have learned to find joy and comfort in some of the simple things of life, such as unexpected smiles, words, and laughter from their loved ones.In one case, a family--who had gotten out of contact due to distance and schedules--began a tradition of having annual family reunions due to wanting to get everybody together while the matriarch of the family could still recognize and enjoy them.Open this book and share the lives of those in this difficult and unfamiliar territory--and share those special moments of joy that make it all worthwhile!!!

Finding The Joy In Alzheimer's: Caregivers Share The Joyful Times by Brenda Avadian is a comforting, spiritually healing book filled with touches of wry humor and a serious understanding of the difficulties of Alzheimer's, and how important it is to find and treasure wondrous moments when caring for someone afflicted with this debilitating neurological disease. Finding The Joy In Alzheimer's is not intended to be a source of advice about the legal, physical, or medical difficulties of Alzheimer's disease; rather it was written to bolster the souls and spirits of those charged with caregiving responsibilities for loved ones suffering from the ravages of Alzheimers. As such, it emphatically succeeds in its mission and intention.

(...) The stories and poems are so sweet and heartwarming. When you get so deeply involved in this disease, you tend to become isolated; you think you are the only one who is going through this. Ms. Avadian's selection of stories gives the reader a lighthearted look into the trials and tribulations of caregiving, all the while letting the readers see what they are experiencing is no different from what they are reading. From the poem "CareGiver," to the stories of "I've got rocks in my head," or "Do you take...in sickness and in health...I do," or "Ice cream never tasted so good," and yes even "Family of Friends," the reader immediately feels love and support. With all the technical/clinical books that are available on Alzheimer's, it is absolutely refreshingly wonderful to have humor to help heal the caregiver's heart!

(...) I must say I am a little biased, however, I do have to say I could not put the book down. The stories and poems are so sweet and heartwarming. When you get so deeply involved in this disease, you tend to become isolated; you think you are the only one who is going through this. Ms. Avadian's selection of stories gives the reader a lighthearted look into the trials and tribulations of caregiving, all the while letting the readers see what they are experiencing is no different from what they are reading. From the poem "CareGiver," to the stories of "I've got rocks in my head," or "Do you take...in sickness and in health...I do," or "Ice cream never tasted so good," and yes even "Family of Friends," the reader immediately feels love and support. With all the technical/clinical books that are available on Alzheimer's, it is absolutely refreshingly wonderful to have humor to help heal the caregiver's heart!

Through the internet, Brenda Avadian has become a very dear friend to me. After years of exchanging emails, sharing the pain we were feeling in losing our parents to Alzheimer's Disease, she invited me to submit some of my heart warming stories about my mother's fight against Alzheimer's. This book is a wonderful compilation of stories from those of us who experience the pain of Alzheimer's on a daily basis. We laugh, so that we don't cry.I recommend this book to anyone who is facing the devastating loss of a loved one to Alzheimer's. If you look hard enough, you will find laughter through your tears!