Losing Everything

Book excerpt: Losing Everything: A Family's Journey with Alzheimer's Disease is written about our long journey with Mom and her illness, as well as how this disease has impacted our lives. Alzheimer's is a thief that slowly robs families of loved ones, long before their lives end. This book is in memory of the mother we once knew, and even though she is still alive, she was stolen by this disease and is now forever lost to us. Mom is sick and getting sicker each day. Once Mom became ill, I began keeping a journal with the idea that it might help Mom's memory. Of course, it did not. Instead, the journal is a series of anecdotes that touches on all the core emotions that we feel: anger, frustration, laughter, and most importantly, love.