@oneputt I love your Mayo "handle" oneputt as it brings joy. I appreciate the mention of the book; I'm going to purchase it. I woke up this morning, and I agree dreaded disease but I've been thinking about the good things, if we can find any, in such an up and down day. Those little positive things that come through daily with something so life changing and debilitating.
I suppose it depends on what stage the person is in, but in watching my husband in the mild stages - on lequembe infusions - I find a kind, appreciative man. He knows something isn't right; he tries to stand firm on his belief that nothing is wrong, and that lequembe will wipe every brain issue away. I don't destroy his belief as that gives him hope. He sits down at the dinner table, and he has so much joy in what I cook. A man who was picky at the table, a man who never wanted to watch movies, or go to a local intown show, now he suggests we go there. Yes, he gets anxious and irritated, but for now, the kindness overrules the irritation. I watched my neighbor, who was in the moderate to later stages of the disease, and I'd walk in and she would light up. I'd sit, show her pictures of the turkey, antipasto, and food we made together, and she remembered. And she, at that time, gave me joy, even in the middle of the confusion she was experiencing. What I see, is that we have to find the goodness, in whatever stage we're dealing with. I pray I feel this way, as time moves on with any "dreaded" progression. Joy to all caregivers this morning. Let's find the goodness in all we do. Because we are special in what we do every day for our special loved ones. our loved ones. Best, Karla

@oneputt There’s a class (zoom based and free) that you can take based on the Pauline Boss book.
I’m almost finished with it and have found it very helpful.
It’s called Finding Meaning and Hope. I found it via the GUIDE program we are in here where I live and our particular instructor is in Flagstaff.

@oneputt thank you for sharing the name of this book. I have since gotten a copy and it seems like it will be very helpful! (I say seems as I have only read the introduction but what I’ve read so far gives me hope.)