My hope for this book is that I give a glimpse to you, the reader, into the experiences we went through when my husband – a young, healthy man – was diagnosed at age 50 with Early Onset Alzheimer’s. My aim is to give you some insight into how to perhaps deal with each change with a little more understanding, and the knowledge that you aren’t alone. On those days where you are frustrated or unsure if you can continue with your journey as a caregiver through this terrible disease, you must remember that nobody is infallible and nobody is a saint. You are human, you make mistakes, and you are doing the very best you can.
When my husband was first diagnosed, I remember telling a friend, “I don’t think I can do this; I don’t know if I can ever do the full care when he gets to that stage.” I was able to continue the care-giving a lot longer than I ever imagined – one day at a time.
I wanted to “give back” in some way to help others who are facing what we faced. My memories are still very vivid right from the first indication that something was wrong. I don’t regret any of the treatments we tried or the care-giving I did. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to cure him.