Category Navigating Alzheimer’s
Walking Away from Alzheimer’s Disease
We are counting down the days to the Alzheimer’s Association Walk in my area. I’ll be walking again in honor of my husband, Marshall Brodien, who passed away this past March. I truly do appreciate all who support me and the rest of us who get out there. More than 5.7 million Americans are diagnosed […]
Speak to Me
We are people on the move. Work and leisure take us all over the world, and speaking at least a handful of phrases in the local tongue is not only personally helpful but courteous to those we encounter. With a few words, our ability to connect and learn from diverse peoples grows considerably. Actually, there […]
Love Them Where They Are
Like sunshine on an overcast day rays of the man I knew peek through the clouds leaving me longing for more. How well we who have loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease know the feelings of this poem found in the beginning of my book, Navigating Alzheimer’s. One minute our mother seems to recognize us and […]
Memory Keepers
“You think you’re so smart, but you married me,” Marshall would say when he knew I was right about something we debated. He didn’t like to acknowledge when he was wrong. I was OK with that. His response always made me laugh. Shared jokes such as this are one of the many things Alzheimer’s robs […]
Paying the Managed Care Tab
Providing safe, healthy, loving care for our loved one with Alzheimer’s disease often ultimately means moving them to a care facility. When our loved one’s needs are beyond what one person can provide, a team of caregivers is required. Making that decision is heart wrenching. We begin this path with the full intention of providing […]
The Magician’s Escape Plan
For all the years Marshall’s continued his downward spiral into Alzheimer’s disease, he’s remained otherwise healthy. He’s had symptoms disruptive to daily living since at least 2004. That’s 15 years and counting. Today what he typically remembers of his past is jumbled, understands little of what’s happening in the present, and he needs assistance with […]
The Alzheimer’s Teacher
Loving a spouse with dementia for decades comes with tremendous heartache. The treacherous path that must be tread requires steady, patient, and unstoppable footing as well as a thick skin. But through this journey, I’ve also gained some wisdom. Here are a few things I’ve learned from loving a spouse with Alzheimer’s: (If you’ve read […]
Mary K. Doyle 
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