This is without a doubt the hardest post I have ever had to write. My sweet incredible dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago, which sent us all reeling sideways with the news. I wanted to share my experience and thoughts with you all here today as I know we aren’t the only family going through this.
Note: this post was last updated September 2024 but originally written in 2021…or something like that. The fact that I can’t remember is a bit ironic… just saying.
I’ve been putting off this post for ages – it is such an emotional one to write and share. Truth be told, it’s so much easier to stick my head in the sand and pretend that this whole thing doesn’t exist. But it does. Right now my dad is still my dad. He may have lost some of his short and mid-term memory, but he’s still witty, sharp, loving and remembers all of us and our precious childhood memories. To think of a future day where this may not be the case breaks my heart in two. We remain hopeful.
People living with dementia and their caregivers are facing more social isolation than ever (originally written at the end of Covid isolation, but I’m sure this still holds true). I thought that this would be a good time to share our journey with you to help those of you going through this, or those who will at some point. This is a long post, grab a cup of coffee my friends.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that destroys brain cells, causing thinking ability and memory to deteriorate over time. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, and is irreversible; over half a million Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease at this time.
Seeing the Signs of Alzheimer’s
My dad, Bob, has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease. I remember the day that we both admitted what was going on – it was such a sad day. My dad was over at my house helping me put up a curtain rod in our spare bedroom, and I could see him struggling with orientation of the hardware – it wasn’t something he would normally have a hard time with. I asked him: “Dad, are you ok”? To which he replied “No. No, I’m not ok, I think I have Alzheimer’s disease”. “I know Dad”, I said, having seen signs (see the end of this post for a list) creep up over the years. And we both broke down and cried.
It took a long time before he could share this with my mom: how do you tell the love of your life something so life-changing? My parents are like a page out of the Notebook: they really are so in love (I wrote a post about their secret to a happy marriage). And my dad is such an incredible human – the whole thing just breaks my heart in two…why him?
Our Family History of Alzheimer’s
My dad’s greatest fear, since his own dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, was getting the disease himself. Alzheimer’s disease has a strong genetic component; the cards were stacked against him. My dad’s genotype is APOE4 and his dad developed Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease at a young age as well. Though my dad was officially diagnosed a few years ago, he noticed symptoms a solid decade before this. My dad is 71 years old.
I have been told that I have, genetically, a 50% chance of having the same genes responsible for early onset Alzheimer’s disease. There are tests that you can get to know for sure but they aren’t recommended. The reason? There is no cure. Do you really want to find out that you may be destined for such a future without a glimmer of hope? You can’t unlearn something like that.
Getting Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a hard condition to diagnose. To be truthful, his family doctor at the time (and the one before that) was very dismissive of his concerns, stating that ‘we all forget things once in awhile’. My dad knew better. It was frustrating. See here for a link if you are wanting to learn more about the process for getting diagnosed. It wasn’t until my dad was enrolled in a formal clinical trial that he received a clear and formal diagnosis.
I suppose my point is to listen to your gut – you know when something isn’t right – and push for getting the help you need from a qualified medical professional.
Clinical Trial for Alzheimer’s
My dad responded to an ad that he saw looking for subjects for a clinical trial for a new Alzheimer’s therapy. The company Biogen was performing a double blinded study on a therapy called Aducanumab that is a human monoclonal antibody designed to treat Alzheimer’s disease. He has been in the study for a couple of years now (it was halted for a period of time – where to our chagrin we found that he was in the placebo arm of the study – but was restarted and now he is getting the full dose). We are hopeful that the drug will help slow the progression of the disease. There are many different trials studying Alzheimer’s disease (I wish there were more), with new discoveries happening every day.
UPDATE: My dad had a very negative reaction to the drug, and had to stop it due to brain bleeds and swelling as a drug side effect. While there still needs to be more research into therapies, this class of drugs was not a solution.
2024 Update
A few years have passed since I originally wrote this blog, but through some incredible fortune, my dad’s disease has barely progressed. If you were to talk with him, you would barely know he has Alzheimer’s.
While it will be impossible to say why (some people progress incredibly quickly once diagnosed – his family members who share his diagnosis all have experienced this), I have one thought that crossed my mind. My dad sleeps – a lot. I can’t help but wonder if this extraordinary amount of sleep, with all its brain-healing powers (removes waste products and toxins in your brain that build up when you are awake) has helped slow down the progression.I may never know.
Regardless of the reason, I am eternally grateful for this precious time with him, the same dad I have always known.
How to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia
There are things that are out of your control (ie: genetics), and things that you can control. The following are actions that you can take (and not to sound preachy but we should all be doing these things) to help reduce your risk of dementia.
- Exercise daily: (especially aerobic activities) improves blood flow to the brain and enhances your mood.
- Challenge your brain: do things a different way (ie: with the opposite hand).
- Eat a healthy diet: lots of dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, water, limiting processed foods and sodium. Check out the MIND diet.
- Be social: social interaction is important – connection is crucial.
- Manage stress: excess stress can cause vascular changes and chemical imbalances that are damaging to the brain and other cells in your body. It’s important to control stress for our brain health and general health.
10 Alzheimer Disease Warning Signs source: Alzheimer.ca
- Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities. It is normal to occasionally forget appointments, colleagues’ names or a friend’s phone number only to remember them a short while later. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may forget things more often or may have difficulty recalling information that has recently been learned.
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks. Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may forget to serve part of a meal, only to remember about it later. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may have trouble completing tasks that have been familiar to them all their lives, such as preparing a meal or playing a game.
- Problems with language. Anyone can have trouble finding the right word to express what they want to say. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may forget simple words or may substitute words such that what they are saying is difficult to understand.
- Disorientation in time and space. It is common to forget the day of the week or ones destination – for a moment. But people with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost on their own street, not knowing how they got there or how to get home.
- Impaired judgment. From time to time, people may make questionable decisions such as putting off seeing a doctor when they are not feeling well. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may experience changes in judgment or decision-making, such as not recognizing a medical problem that needs attention or wearing heavy clothing on a hot day.
- Problems with abstract thinking. From time to time, people may have difficulty with tasks that require abstract thinking, such as balancing a chequebook. However, someone with Alzheimer’s disease may have significant difficulties with such tasks because of a loss of understanding what numbers are and how they are used.
- Misplacing things. Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in inappropriate places: for example, an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
- Changes in mood and behaviour. Anyone can feel sad or moody from time to time. However, someone with Alzheimer’s disease can show varied mood swings – from calmness to tears to anger – for no apparent reason.
- Changes in personality. Personalities can change in subtle ways over time. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may experience more striking personality changes and can become confused, suspicious or withdrawn. Changes may also include lack of interest, fearfulness or acting out of character.
- Loss of initiative. It is normal to tire of housework, business activities or social obligations, but most people regain their initiative. However, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may become passive and disinterested, and require cues and prompting to become involved.
Helpful Alzheimer’s Disease Resources
I will be writing more on this in the upcoming months, sharing my insights into the disease, things that have helped, and how to eat well to mitigate your risk of dementia.
The most helpful resource to-date for me has been the Alzheimer’s Society of BC.
- The First Link® Dementia Helpline is for anyone affected by dementia, whether professionally or personally. Get the support you need, when you need it. 1-800-966-6033
- Alzheimer’s disease and forms of dementia causes changes in the brain which can appear in the person’s behaviour. The Alzheimer Society of B.C. offers a range of education including webinars, early stage dementia support, and tele-support. They also offer caregiver support so that caregivers can learn how to understand behaviour as a form of communication and explore strategies for determining what the person with dementia might be trying to communicate. https://alzheimer.ca/bc/en/help-support/programs-services
Note: this article is a reflection of my own personal experience, and that of my dad’s, with Alzheimer’s disease. This information does not replace the advice of a medical professional.
My step mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about 8 years ago. Her and my Dad were living in Kelowna (Holiday Park Resort) at the time-far away from family in Manitoba. A couple of years after her diagnosis we went to Kelowna to drive a U-Haul for their move back to Manitoba so Dad could have help with her care. For the most part you wouldn’t know she has it. For us kids, the tell is her asking the same question within a 2minute span. She no longer likes to cook or bake (which she always loved). Can’t do her ceramics anymore, has trouble concentrating and is very noise sensitive. There are many other tells, I’m sure, that Dad sees daily. They are in their 80’s but continue to live in their own apartment. One of the hardest things so far are she will text or call me accusing me of things that never happened. Dad says she dreams and thinks the dreams are real. We had to learn not to correct her as it agitated her. Ignore the repetitive questions, answering them over and over again as if it was the first time she asked. Yet, ask her about anything 30-40 years ago and she can recount every detail. So hard watching someone you love go through this. Equally hard is watching the stress her caregiver, my Dad, is under watching his soul mate slip away. My ❤️ Goes out to you and your family. Hopefully his won’t be a severe case.
Thanks for sharing your story
I am sure it is not easy. I love all your stories with your parents and the kiddos. Share those special moments and capture all the moments. Sending you lots of love to you family. Xoi
Thank you so very much that means a lot to me xo
Thanks for writing about this and for sharing your experience, information and tips.
This week was the first big ‘take your breath away’ experience for me with my mom, when she said “who is that” in reference to speaking about her 6 month old grandson and his mom.
It’s a terrible disease to watch on its destructive path over the years, in ways that it impacts ‘the patient’ and the family.
I keep trying to find the peace in remembering this is a disease, and not my sharp, intelligent mother who would be so embarrassed and sad to know what is going on.
Hi Laura, I’m so sorry to hear this. That is a jarring experience for sure and so deeply saddening. Thank you for sharing your story and sending love to you and your family. Tori
After my Dad passed in 2010 we noticed these many signs and she was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. We/she managed it but realized she was spending too much time alone, so we prepared her for assisted living. It was a relief that she was spending time with people playing bingo, cards and “pub” nights and enjoying visits with family and friends in her own apartment. My Mum is now in full time care but I feel she is where she needs to be now and I am thankful that she had the time in the assisted living environment. She doesn’t know me but will recognize my sister, as she’s the primary. I have not physically touched my Mum since February, but we FaceTime and have window visits. It’s a sad time for me…. she’s just not the Mum I want to remember.
Hi Linda, oh my goodness I’m so sorry to hear this. Crying as I read your note and write a response. Sending love and strength to you and your family! Tori
Wonderful post, Tori. I do know how hard it is. My mom just turned 73 and she’s been in a memory care center for almost a year (she got to the point where she didn’t know my dad and was either afraid of him or threatening him. So awful). And while there’s never a time that’s good for a parent to be in a a memory care center, this past year has obviously been especially bad. Let’s just say that window, zoom, and outside visits (in Ohio winters) are not good at all for dementia patients. However, she is so loved by the staff and we can see her love for them—it’s so sweet. That eases the pain somewhat. Some days I feel peace about her, other days I just feel so much anger. Why? Why my mom? Thank you, Tori, for using your social media and blog to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s and dementia. ❤️
Oh Jolie I’m so sorry to hear this. I can only imagine how you are feeling, and that I would have those same emotions. I wonder why my dad all the time: he is such a good person… why him? I get it. I hope that these restrictions ease soon so that you can go see her, this is a very hard time for those with dementia indeed. I will keep sharing and in the meantime sending big love to you and your family. xo Tori
Hugs to you! ALZHEIMERS is a horrible disease. Your Dad is so strong. I lost my beautiful Mom to Early onset Alzheimers when she was 59… so unfair. The journey was horrible and so terribly sad. Such an awful disease for the sick and the caregivers to go though. Strength to you and your family. xo
Hi Lisa, oh my goodness, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. That is devastating. Sending so much love your way. xo Tori
A few weeks ago I had heard on the news that Alzheimer’s disease is one of the diseases that is very close to a cure (within next 2 to 5 years) I am sending so much love and prayers to your family. It’s so hard to see someone you love suffer
Thank you Sharan, I certainly hope so! Thank you for your kind message! Take good care, Tori
Your dad is lucky to have a great support system and such a loving daughter. Your mom is a standout lady, no doubt you’ll be able to help her take a break here and there bc as the caregiver she’ll need it.
Love the tips!
It is a tough road to walk. Your family sounds so strong as you go through this journey together. The hardest thing for our family along with the realization my dad was slipping away (my dad had vascular dementia) was waiting for that next bleed to happen and how he would be. I would encourage others that if a family member has Alzheimer’s, dementia that you share it with others. It helps with understanding and kindness.
Thank you Jane, and I’m sorry to hear about your dad. That must have been so very difficult. I agree about sharing the diagnosis, there needs to be more awareness and understanding… and always more kindness. Warmest wishes, Tori
Thank you for this heartfelt post Tori. Much love and healing to you and your Family. Your Dad glows in his pics you’ve posted. It’s so wonderful how close you are. You have a whole world of us here, lean on us whenever you need to.
Thank you so much Carey that is so very kind of you. Take care, Tori xx
This is a great blog Tori. My mom moved to Kelowna when she was 65 and started showing signs of dementia not long after. Her older sister had Alzheimer’s but no one would test mom for it. She went from independent living to a care facility over the next 10yr Then she was on a wait list for almost 2 yr for a long term care bed. This was a difficult time and she passed away at 90 from an influenza outbreak.
My mom worked until 65 which was unusual. She was bright and thoughtful until she wasn’t.
I say these things because a test would have helped get her the level of care she needed sooner as well as helping with family support.
Also my sousing had more community support because of the diagnosis.
Thanks again Tori
Hi Sandy, thank you for sharing your story. I’m sad to hear that you have had to go through this. It’s a good point about the care and getting a diagnosis and help early as it is certainly a disease that requires support. Sending warmest wishes, Tori
I needed this. Especially no.9. So much doesn’t point to this but the ones that do are alarming. The personality change is hard to watch and I’m pretty sure he’s covering his tracks. It’s all very stressful. I thank you and your dad for being so forthcoming. 🙏🏻💙🙏🏻
Hi Bee, sending warmest wishes to you and your family and thank you for your note.
Thank you for sharing your story and in so much detail. The honesty and transparency is so appreciated. My Babcia (grandma in Polish) had dementia for sure, and due to circumstances in the last few years of her life medical care wasn’t allowed really, so we think the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s went without happening for her. That’s a whole other story though.
However, as much as she may not have remembered us, I am forever grateful to have had visits with her in July 2015 and that she got to meet my sister’s kiddos.
My mom and I try hard to follow the preventative measures, these were great reminders to read. Thank you so much.
You guys really are an amazing and inspirational family. 💜💜💜🙏🙏🙏🙏💗❤️💗💜
Thanks for sharing your family’s story. It is a hard road. The love and bonds of your family will help you all throughout the journey.
Thank you for posting, I know this was so hard. I lost my Dad just over a year ago to Parkinson’s related dementia.
We grieved every step of his slow decline. It’s a cruel and devastating disease.
I’m so thankful for your willingness to share your family’s journey with your Dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Thank you for bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s and dementia related diseases. There is hope! Sending love to you and your beautiful family!
Thank you Carolyn for your kind note, and I’m so terribly sorry to hear about your loss. It is heart breaking. Sending much love! Tori
My beautiful Nana Joy had Alzheimer’s for decades before she passed. One thing that comforted me, is that eventually when my Nana forgot all our names, it was so evident they still know you. Her eyes would twinkle and she would say, “Hello Darling!” as I entered the room and it was just as comforting as a name.
Thinking of you Tori, I’m so sorry your family has to endure this. Be warm, be patient, let your dad ask the same questions and repeat the answers over and over if you must!
Hi Ashley, that’s so touching. It is a heartbreaking disease, I’m sorry that you had to go through that. Sending warmest wishes, Tori
My grandma has Alzheimer’s too. She just recently had to move to an alzheimer’s assisted living home. My grandpa took care of her as long as he could. My mom got a call from him, he was sobbing, telling her that he couldn’t take care of her anymore. I think he felt that he failed her. We told him he didn’t. He’s 87 years old.
I really miss my grandma, it’s like she’s died and some stranger has taken over he body. She used to be so talkative, neat, organized, the best cook and sweetest lady. Now she hardly knows my grandpa and cannot take care of herself anymore and doesn’t talk.
It’s such a brutal and painful thing to go through. I’m praying for you and your family as you go through this. Virtual hugs for you all ❤
Oh Alana that is so sad. Your poor grandparents. My heart just breaks for your grandpa, I could just imagine being in his shoes and what that would feel like (I’m crying writing this). Sending love to you and your family. Tori
Bless you for telling your story. My heart is so saddened for your family. You are blessed to have support of family and friends. I am 64young gal who is sole caregiver to my 101 yr Mom, who is afflicted with semantics or Alzheimer’s, or age. I do struggle as I lost my only sibling 12 yes ago and didn’t envision this life of mine. Bless you🎈🎈🎈
Hi Roxanne. I’m so very sorry to hear this – it is so sad to see a parent’s health compromised and I’m sad to hear of your loss. Your kindness to your mom is a gift. I hope you can find time to take care of yourself too. xo Tori
Thanks so much Tori for sharing your story of your Dad with us. You shared something that is extremely difficult and in particular for families and caregivers of the person affected with the disease. It is definitely a journey, however by keeping yourself informed of the disease and with the loving support of family and friends the burden will be easier for you.
My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s back in 2003 and passed away in 2010. She didn’t have the early onset of the disease and lived to age 93. My Uncle however did have early onset Alzheimer’s and was diagnosed in his 60’s. This is all on my mom’s side of the family so I think of the possibility that I or my son may carry the gene.
I will say that during my mom’s illness I never stopped being there for her and giving her all the love and support I could as a daughter. I have many happy memories during those days and I will never regret the time and effort I put in to make sure that she always felt loved ad supported.
I know you and your family will do the same for your Dad.
Sending love and support, ❤️
Hi Lorraine,
Thank you very much for sharing your story. I’m so sorry to hear of your family’s journey with Alzheimer’s.
Sending love back to you too, Tori
Thank you for sharing, Tori! I always enjoy when you talk about your dad in your Instagram stories. You can just see and feel the love come across so beautifully. I know you and your family are not taking for granted any of the time that y’all spend together creating all of the memories.💙💙💙
Thank you Lynn that is really kind of you! Thank you for taking the time to write a note I appreciate that! Warmest wishes, Tori
Thanks for sharing Tori. I find comfort in talking, reading and listening to other people going through similar circumstances. My mother was diagnosed approximately 3 years ago and is now in middle stages of Alzheimers. She is still at home with my dad as her main caregiver along with daily support from myself and my siblings a couple of times a day. My mother has no short term memory, as well, has lost almost all of our own family memories and is even starting to lose her own childhood memories at this point. It is very difficult to watch her slowly fade away.
I do try to to take active measures to help reduce the risk for myself but I know I could do better. I look forward to your further posts
Hi Kathy,
I’m so sorry to hear this – it breaks my heart. Sending much love to you and your family and I will be sure to keep posting about this along with ways to reduce our risk. Take good care, Tori
Thank you Tori for sharing your story. My own family has also been impacted and it is truly heartbreaking. We all need to support one another and keep hope. You may be aware of this already, but I encourage you and your family to explore the research for photobiomodulation. It is another promising area of research with trials starting. All the best to you and your family. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7369090/
Thanks so much Stacey I will check that out, it sounds very interesting! I’m so sorry to hear that your family has been impacted:(. Warmest wishes, Tori
Are you aware of any places where this therapy exists? It seems experimental at this point but if there are human trials that is interesting would love to learn more (I read through the article). Thanks Stacey
Hi Tori,
My understanding is that some human trials have started. I will include additional links below. One of the larger trials has been recruiting within the US and Canada, I believe. Full disclosure, my husband is a neuropsychologist in Ontario and I am a psychologist, so I know about this research via the work he does. We are in no way affiliated with the technology, research, or trials in any way though. We share your frustration in terms of resources and I just wanted to make you aware of another promising area should you, your family, and healthcare team feel that it might be an area worth exploring. I hope that this information is enough to get you started on your own research. I don’t want to spam your blog with research studies or come off like an advertisement, lol. Like you, our family has been impacted by this terrible disease and having lost my own dad 2 years ago (to cancer), my heart breaks for all of you. I hope that in some way, this information might be helpful to you and your dad. Wishing you all the best.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03405662
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03160027
https://vielight.ca/vielight-pivotal-alzheimers-disease-trial/
Hi Stacey, thank you so very much for taking the time to send this information to me and to write such a thoughtful note. It is so kind of you. I will sit down with a cup of tea and pour through this. It’s so interesting: there are so many potential avenues that are being explored, it will be fascinating to see which ends up working in the end. I’m sorry to hear about your dad, that breaks my heart. Sending warmest wishes to you and your family and thank you again. Tori
Thanks for sharing. I can only imagine how difficult that was to write. Our dads are our Hero’s and mean the most to us. It is so hard to see medical issues slowly taking them away from us.
Enjoy every day and make note of special minutes or hours you share.
My dad has passed away 8 years ago and not a day goes by that I do not have a little chat with him.
Hug tight!
Hi Kelly, so sorry for your loss. Dads are indeed such special people in our lives. Warmest wishes to you and your family… Tori
My heart goes out to you and your family. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and it was an incredibly painful journey. I live in fear of the same thing happening to my mum. I hope you can enjoy and cherish every moment you have together.
I’m sorry to hear that Lyndsey, and sorry for your loss:(
Tori
Thank you so much for sharing your story and information about dementia and Alzheimer’s. My mom has dementia, and I have been her caregiver for several years. It’s an incredibly difficult, humbling and isolating journey, and I have learned so much along the way. I have tremendous respect for caregivers, and will always be grateful that I can be there to love, help and support my mom. Your father is very lucky to have you to help and support him!
Thank you Sandy and I’m so sorry to hear that your mom has the disease – it is heart wrenching. Sending you warmest wishes and I hope you have some help! Take good care, Tori
Thank you for sharing. It’s such a heart wrenching diagnosis and disease. He is lucky to have such a loving family by his side.
Thank you so much Rebecca, Tori
Hi Tori,
That’s devastating, I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. My grandmother died from Alzheimer’s and I’m terrified that it will be passed onto my mom or myself so I’ve recently started learning more about it. I just finished reading the “The End of Alzheimer’s” by Dr. Bredesen and I’m SO GRATEFUL to have discovered this book. He outlines his research and how you can prevent and/or reverse cognitive decline through a highly personalized integrative medicine approach. I highly recommend looking into it. Best of luck to you and your family.
Thank you Molly and I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma. Sending warmest wishes, Tori
New to your blog. We are a multi-generational household to keep my dad in his home of 30 years where he has security and familiarity and can get around. He’s losing more and more, but still knows where the kitchen is (he can help himself to chocolate croissants and ice cream bars and his ‘wine’), the bedroom, bathroom and his chair. He still turns on the tv and most of the time can change the channels. His dr, whom we love, told us about a year ago to stop worrying about many things – nutrition, hydration and just do our best. Said it doesn’t matter what he eats anymore, as long as he gets calories in – hence the ice cream bars and croissants. We do feed him proteins everyday and he’ll eat them if they are cut up. His personality before Alz was cheerful and sweet and that remains so – never have we dealt with rage or lashing out. He is 88 and was diagnosed in 2012. Thankful to be part of your community. Ask me anything/anytime. Much love to you and the whole community.
Hi Molly, thank you for sharing your story about your dad Tony. He is lucky to have you – I’m sorry that you are going through this. I will certainly reach out if I have questions… there will be many I’m sure. Sending love. Tori
Tori, sitting here in my neighborhood coffee shop tears flowing. My parents live just down the highway, in salmon arm. My dad is the same age as your beautiful dad. Mine too, was recently formally diagnosed. Thank you for sharing and for allowing us to grieve together.. taking some small comfort in knowing we are not alone ♡
Oh Alana I am so sorry to hear that – sending so much love to you and your family xx Tori
Thank you for sharing your families story. I lost my dad 6 years ago to metastatic colon cancer. Now my mum has multi-focal lung cancer and we are in the process of getting her tested for dementia. The doctor from the MAID program when he came to assess my mum to see if she was a candidate for MAID was the first doctor to say that he believes she has it. We are waiting for her to get into the Senior’s clinic at Jim Patterson Outpatient Clinic. I can deal with the cancer journey as I have already been down that road, this dementia journey is one of the hardest things our family has gone through since the passing of my dad and my children’s amazing papa.
Hi Tracey,
Thank you so much for opening up and sharing such a personal part of your journey. I can only imagine how incredibly tough it must be to go through this with your mum after already facing the loss of your dad. Dementia is such a difficult journey to navigate. I hope you are able to find the support you need. My heart goes out to you and your entire family. xx Tori