This is a story – about my journey of dementia with my step mom, Jane.
In 2008, Jane was laid off from work. It should have been an exciting time for her. She had been contemplating retirement anyway – this was her excuse to get started living the life she had been dreaming of the past several years. Instead, it was full of stress, doctor visits & worry. Something just wasn’t right with my vibrant stepmom. We would finally get the diagnosis in 2009 – early onset dementia. My stepmom was about to turn 58.
My dad is an amazing man. He chose to retire & care for his wife. He was determined to keep her at home & provide her a full life. Unfortunately, dementia was in charge. My siblings & I pushed & encouraged him to move his wife to a memory care facility. It was just becoming too much for my dad to care for Jane. She needed constant supervision & we feared the toll this responsibility was taking on his life & his health. In 2015, my brother & I began helping my Dad find a place for Jane.
In 2016, I began to share my visits with my stepmom on facebook. At first it was just a place for family & friends to get quick updates on Jane. After receiving permission from my dad, brother & sister, I began to share the reality of this disease – from my eyes. My stepmom was a warrior. If her story helped just one person, well, then she would make a difference. We need to talk about the reality of dementia & Alzheimer’s disease. We need awareness so we can provide more funding to find a cure. As the years went on, I shared more & more vulnerably of how it felt.
My stepmom finally escaped this horrible disease on March 25, 2022. I had 7 years of memories shared on facebook. After her death, I wanted to capture this journey in one place. Hence the blog was born. Every time I visited Jane, I took a picture. You will find that picture along with the update.