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Last week, I was pretty certain my mom was going to die. This shouldn't be a surprising revelation, especially not 16 years in to this dogshit disease, but there I was, numb and stupefied by the thought. Alzheimer's is especially cruel like that--once you accept the latest loss of your loved one at the hands of this disease, once you get comfy with navigating whatever the new "normal" looks like, another thread in the human fabric begins to unravel and there you are, bracing

Who knows why we're attracted to the things we are while grieving...

Not much to say today; I just really miss you is all. #grievingdaughter #grieving #grief #griefsupport #griefjourney #endalz #earlyonsetalz #earlyonsetalzheimersdisease #earlyonsetalzheimers #alzheimerscaregiver #alzheimersawareness #alzheimers #alzheimersdisease

Hard to believe it's already been a year of Josey Wales, our little outlaw kitty who came into our lives rather unexpectedly, but exactly when we needed him to. This photo was from around this time last year when I'd bring him along for visits with mom. Everyone was impressed with how well he'd sit with her and snuggle, and how receptive she seemed to the little furball in her lap. I've heard so many people talk about how giving their loved ones the opportunity to interact wi

It's time to administer the #morphine and my dad is careful as he checks to make sure the liquid reaches the faint line on the syringe before we administer. When people hear the "M" word, they get scared, and ask as delicately as they can muster if we are afraid if it will kill her. I want to say there are things worse than death, especially as it relates to what my mother has experienced over these past 16 years, but I simply smile and explain that it is dosed to manage her

Mom's caretaker is enjoying her well-deserved time off for the month, which means she has her second-string helpers reporting for duty the next couple days. Admittedly, I used to dread helping with bathing, but I've come to appreciate the time much more these days, maybe it's because it's a less-frequent task, maybe because any time I still have with my mom feels precious. I'm not sure this is time my mom enjoys as much, especially as she's jostled and flipped by someone I of