Monthly Archives: February 2014

February 24, 2014 · 3:54 pm

My story will appear in “Chicken Soup for the Soul Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias”

I am very excited to announce that a story that I wrote about my father, called “French Toast,” will appear in a special edition of the popular “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. This edition features stories about living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and is a joint project with the Alzheimer’s Association. All royalties from this special edition will go directly to the Alzheimer’s Association. The book will be released on April 22, 2014.

CSS Living with Alzheimer's & Other Dementias

I am thrilled to be a part of this upcoming book, especially for a publisher as popular and well-respected as the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” folks. From thousands of submissions, 101 stories were chosen to appear in the book. I look forward to reading all of the inspirational stories.

If you’re wondering how I came about submitting my story, it was really just by chance. I was doing my daily “looking for paid writing gigs” web search and was on the Work-at-Home Moms website. Now I’m not a mom (unless you count the pets) but I find that their website sometimes posts opportunities I don’t see elsewhere. It was on their website that I saw the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” callout for Alzheimer’s and dementia stories. I said to myself, “Why not?” I submitted two stories: a depressing one and a funny one. The funny one was accepted. 🙂

One of the main goals I had in mind when starting The Memories Project blog was to raise awareness, not just for Alzheimer’s but for family caregivers as well. I’ve virtually met so many wonderful people through my modest but loyal following. The dialogue we have has educated and inspired me and lifted my spirits. Yet I know so many others are struggling silently and I hope by being able to get out the word on a larger platform, more people can get the support they need.

To prepare for the upcoming release of the book, I’ve added a couple of pages to my blog: media appearances and publishing credits. If you or someone you know would be interested in a copy of the book, an interview or a guest blog post, feel free to contact me directly at joyjohnston.writer@gmail.com.

9 Comments

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , ,

February 18, 2014 · 5:52 pm

Caregiving like a labyrinth

I was reading an interview with Gail Sheehy in Today’s Caregiver magazine. In it, she talks about the caregiving journey being akin to navigating a labyrinth. When you make your way through a labyrinth, you must follow the path as it is presented to you, even it takes you forward and then suddenly reverses, taking you back several paces before veering off again. Sheehy talks about requiring patience and faith to reach the center. This can be spiritual faith or faith in nature, yourself, etc. Once you reach the center, think about the physical state of your loved one. Are they on the mend or are they declining? If it is the latter, Sheehy states that you need to accept that you and the loved one you are caring for are on two separate journeys. Their journey through the labyrinth will result in their departing this world soon, where as you must find the path back to your life. Sheehy warns of not sacrificing two lives for one, as she has seen many caregivers do who fail to take care of themselves during their caregiving period.

labyrinth

To me, the concept of a labyrinth perfectly describes the caregiving journey. We move forward, then a setback moves us backwards. We learn more the more time we spend on the caregiving journey. There are frustrations along with successful moves. Eventually, we all reach the same path that includes our exit from this world, but as caregivers we have to recognize that we can only go so far down that path with our loved ones.

Sheehy also discusses the crisis points that caregivers experience and how they can better manage these stages. Sheehy stresses that caregiving should never be a solitary journey; to protect your own health you need to form a circle of care to support you. Easier said than done for many of us, but I think Sheehy’s ideas should receive widespread adoption and community resources should be directed towards these concepts.

3 Comments

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , ,

February 11, 2014 · 4:08 pm

Sharing the Story of Dementia through Pictures

You might learn some new factoids from this infographic, even if you think you are a dementia expert.

Kay H. Bransford's avatarDealing with Dementia

I was recently sent a link to this “infographic” that sums up the large topic of dementia using pictures.

First, I want to reiterate that dementia is the umbrella term used to describe a variety of disease states — from Alzheimer’s to Vascular and even a symptom in some patients with Parkinson’s.

I made the request that they find a way to show the growth of Dementia — I feel as we are getting more education on the symptoms — many more families will find they are starting their journey with a loved one into the land of dementia. Shared.

Thank you to mba healthcare management and Riley for sharing this with me.

Dementia
Source: MBA-Healthcare-Management.com

View original post

Leave a comment

Filed under Memories

February 4, 2014 · 7:05 pm

Disasters and random acts of kindness

You probably heard about the snowstorm that struck Atlanta, Georgia last week and shut down the city. Many people ended up being stuck on the highway, miles from home. Children were stranded on school buses or at schools, separated from their parents. Elderly people and those with chronic diseases were in need of medications and care. Even though we all knew it was a temporary situation, with temperatures rising well above freezing by the end of the week, during that initial 24-hour period, it gave all of us here a good taste of how people react in dire circumstances.

I was pleasantly surprised to see, that even in this age of selfishness, there were a lot of examples of people going out their way to help those in need. While social media is often seen as a vapid waste of time, people took to online networks like Facebook and Twitter to learn where there loved ones were and to help those in need. People who needed medical attention were taken to hospitals, and a stranded pregnant woman and young child were provided with shelter. Teachers stayed with their stranded students overnight instead of with their own families. One man walked six miles during the snowstorm just so he could spend the night with his daughter, who was stranded at her elementary school.

helping

Sure, there was the guy who drove a fake tow truck to try and steal abandoned cars off the road, but he was quickly caught. 🙂

It made me think about the random acts of kindness bestowed on my family during my dad’s illness and when I was my mom’s caregiver. The little things that made such a difference, like the shuttle driver that bought my mom flowers while we were viewing my dad’s body at the funeral home. That same shuttle driver risked her life to get me to the airport right after a brutal snowstorm so I could try to make it home for Christmas, then came back to pick me up when the airport shut down and drove me to a hotel. I sent her a thank you card but there really is no way to repay these acts of kindness. There was another shuttle driver who picked me up from the hospital in his personal car after he had completed a long day at work, when I was stranded at the hospital with mom and literally had no other way to get home.

When you are a caregiver, these simple acts of kindness make such a difference, whether you find yourself dealing with a disaster on a personal or larger scale. Bless all of those people who open their hearts and help those in need.

Leave a comment

Filed under Memories

Tagged as , ,