Kathy Erickson

Compassion and Commitment Kathy Erickson

My husband was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease when he was 50 years old. Two years later, his diagnosis was changed to Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsonism. I decided to keep track of our journey and the twists and turns people deal with when diagnosed with a debilitating disease. I tried to cover all the basics on a timeline from being diagnosed, different medications we tried, a constant decline in the activities of daily living, being hospitalized, entering a nursing home, or coming home and having in-home health care. When you have a loved one, with a devastating illness, whether it is a spouse or a parent, you want the very best care for them if you can't care for them yourself. This book covers our experiences with issues involving health insurance, nursing homes, trying to work full-time, and the reliability of several in-home health care agencies and the unfortunate nightmares you deal with on a regular basis. It also touches on how to deal with the stress you experience when your life doesn't turn out as you thought. I ended up losing my job because of all the times I missed trying to work, trying to care for my aging parents, (my mom Alzheimer's), my spouse and family, and all the duties that go along with owning a home. The brain is such a complex organ, and when it starts to die, it affects every person differently. I hope this book will help others dealing with loved ones suffering from dementia by giving them awareness, insight, and an idea of what to expect as the disease progresses.