Alzheimer’s Wasn’t In The Manual: Caring for the nurse who raised me.

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 pers...

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 y...

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, f...

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.

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.

I was walking my mom to the bathroom. I reminded her to knock on the wall so she would know where to sit down. She waved me off and said "yeah, yeah, some crazy guy already taught me that." In this episode I share another moment from our daily life navigating the strange world of Alzheimer's...One that made me laugh out loud, even during just another caregiving task. These are the mo...

My mom looked at my sister and became confused when she realized her sister and her daughter had the same first name. "Who would be crazy enough to name their daughter the same name as their sister? "she asked. I told her "You'd be surprised" Alzheimer's can really mess with time, relationships, and memories very quickly. Sometimes all you can do is laugh.

My mom asked if I was British this morning while I was helping her get dressed. That's how this episode starts. A short story about humor, confusion, caregiving, and the crazy everyday moments that Alzheimer's brings.

Hair washing day sounds simple until it becomes part comedy routine, part emotional Time Machine, and part caregiving reality. In episode 3, I discuss one small moment with my mom that turns into one of the funniest and sweetest compliments I've gotten in a long time. Caregiving can be exhausting, heartbreaking, awkward, and absolutely hilarious. sometimes all within minutes.

"It"s a secret" That's how I answered my mom when she asked me who washes and gets me dressed. Just minutes earlier, she had asked me if I ever get tired of helping her. I told her never. Then she looked at me and asked who takes care of me. In moments like that, you don't always have an answer....so sometimes you make one up. This is life caring for my mom, a nurse of 57 ye...

My mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up . I talk about my experiences as a caregiver to my mom with Alzheimer’s.

Last week my mom asked me what I want to be when I grow up. I’m 54. She spent 57 years as an OR nurse. Now she has Alzheimer’s and I’m her care giver. I’m starting this podcast to share what that is actually like-because honestly, non of this came with instructions. Some days are heavy. Some days are unexpectedly funny. Most are both. This is This wasn’t In The Manual.