Alzheimer's Daughter by Jean Lee: Family Doctor, Sally Willard Burbank, Cowrites The Alzheimer's Disease Caregiver's Handbook, with Sue Pace Bell, a Spouse-Caregiver

The Story

Alzheimer’s Daughter introduces the reader to my healthy parents, Ed and Ibby, years before their diagnosis, then recounts painful details as our roles reversed and I became my parents’ parent.

Their disease started as translucent, confused thoughts and ended in a locked memory care unit after a near decade of descent into the opaque world of Alzheimer's.

I began writing Alzheimer’s Daughter one week after my mother's death––when I was stunned, realizing Dad had no memory of her or their 66-year marriage.

I write to pay tribute to the undying spirit at Ed and Ibby's core, and with the hope that the story of their parallel decline might be helpful to others.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Family Doctor, Sally Willard Burbank, Cowrites The Alzheimer's Disease Caregiver's Handbook, with Sue Pace Bell, a Spouse-Caregiver

Even though it's been a decade since my parents died of Alzheimer's, I still have a thirst to read about the disease and its impact on loved ones. Each time I reach out to an author, I feel like I make a new friend; someone who understands. I come to know someone who has shared some part of my journey. AlzAuthors.com was built from that desire.

I found this beautiful book floating in the top 100 on Amazon. Wow, it's worth the read! A family doctor writes this helpful book chapter by chapter with the wife of an Alzheimer's patient. We see the medical side and the spouse-caregiver perspective. Very unique! So, this week AlzAuthors welcomes Dr. Sally Willard Burbank, author of The Alzheimer's Disease Caregiver's Handbook; What to Remember When They Forget.

Sally shares:

As a primary care internist with thirty years of experience, I noticed that, hands down, THE most stressed out and worn-out patients in my practice were those who were caregiving parents or spouses with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. They came in sleep-deprived and overwhelmed, always second-guessing themselves for how they were handling things. Some had come to near blows with siblings on thorny decisions. They are usually racked with guilt because they lose their patience with their loved one when they don’t remember what they are told or repeat the same question or story over and over the again.

Please read the entire post here.