Laughing Your Way Through Alzheimers

When my mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, everything seemed to be fine. Other than forgetting a few things here and there, her behavior appeared normal. But then I received a call from my sister telling me that when she got home, Mom had disappeared. She called the police and discovered that she had decided to take a late-night walk and was found three miles away from the house. It was then that we discovered she could no longer be left alone.

Once people knew about my mother’s condition, they suggested different movies for me to watch. After seeing these movies, had I been a candidate for suicide, I would have jumped right off the cliff. Watching my mom go from a thriving adult to a helpless child was heartbreaking enough.

After spending months crying about my mom’s condition, I had an epiphany. I could continue grieving over her, or I could look at the things that made me laugh about her instead of the things that made me cry. Looking at her disease from this perspective changed everything. Taking care of her was no longer a burden, but a joy. It was also a way for me to give back to someone who had spent their lifetime giving to me.

This book is dedicated to caregivers everywhere. I hope it will inspire, encourage, and strengthen you as you take care of your loved ones. No matter what the disease, I hope your perspective will be to focus on the things that make you laugh instead of cry.