islanda

 Recently I was asked how this book came to be. Did I start this journal to make a book? Well, actually, when I moved in with my father-in-laws house, I started writing these entries as e-mail messages to the family. They were used to keep everyone abreast of his ever changing condition. Since they were originally sent through e-mail they were obviously dated. I felt that it would be important to keep copies of all of them so that we could track his progress. There are plenty of entries into the journal that never made it into the published book. The biggest reason for this was because there were many days when Dad's progress/condition was stagnant. At first I would send daily updates to the family but on days when Dad did not change I simply focused my attention on him.

 I wrote this journal to help myself disconnect from the stresses of living as caregiver. However, the true reason I wrote this book is so that it could be helpful for others to see the reality of taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. This is a growing disease that is often misunderstood. It is incredibly heart breaking to see your loved one with this disease, but I think it helps when you can talk to, or read about someone who can share the experience. While I was at home with Dad, and no one else was around, it was really lonely at times. I often found that my computer was my best friend. I used it mostly for interaction with other caregivers, research, and brainstorming. When I would put out a letter about the events of the day, I would look forward to hearing back from other family members and friends.

 I hope you find my book as helpful as many others have! Thank you for allowing me to share some thoughts behind my book. Remember, keep smiling!