Butterflies and Breast Cancer Amid Dementia Caregiving with Allene Symons

Oct 04, 2024 2:10 pm

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Hello ,

Sometimes in the midst of caregiving a new crisis arises, something we never expected, that increases our responsibilities and causes additional stress. In this podcast episode, our latest author, Allene Symons, tells her story of encountering breast cancer while caring for her husband Allen, who had Lewy Body dementia. She also reveals how COVID affected their journey. But this is not a tale of gloom. "There were bright moments too," she says. One source of joy she and Allen enjoyed was their butterfly garden, which provided them with a purpose and a shared passion. It became an important part of their caregiving rituals that also included their home caregivers. A connection to nature is useful therapy, she says. Step into her story to discover how a caregiver survived a number of life's crises while balancing beauty and wonder.

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In Case You Missed It …

One parent with dementia is challenging enough, but when you have TWO parents with dementia while raising young children it’s easy to fall into despair and chaos. When Christy Byrne Yates, a licensed educational psychologist, writer, and speaker, found herself in this situation, she learned the necessary skills she needed to not only provide care to her parents and children, but also to herself. In this replay of the AlzAuthors Aging & Amazing Books & Chit Chat discussion, she shares her insights, offering practical tips on navigating family dynamics, building a legacy of love in caregiving, and providing emotional resilience and support. Author of Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation, she’s a member of the AlzAuthors management team, and co-host and producer of the “Untangling Alzheimer’s & Dementia” podcast.

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Listen to podcast!

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What's Next for the Book Club

Please join us for our next book club discussion on Tuesday, October 29th at 7 pm EST via Zoom as we meet Carolyn Birrell, author of Walking with Fay, My Mother's Uncharted Path into Dementia. Her book starts, "In 2012, I flew down to Georgia to kidnap my mother.” From there we are taken on a rollercoaster of a journey with Carolyn, the unprepared caregiver, learning on the job, making mistakes, owning up to them, and doing the best she could in an impossible situation.

Readers say:

"This book gives you a day to day view of what to expect and how to understand the progression ahead of you."

"Carolyn provides a very flowing story and includes her honest feelings, which sometimes are not very positive, and gives caregivers the knowledge that these feelings are natural and felt by many, many others."

"Walking With Fay is a brutally honest, often uncomfortable book to read. But most importantly, it is a book that I will recommend to any friend (or acquaintance) who shares with me that they are dealing with a loved one with dementia."

Remember: it’s not necessary to read the books to attend the discussion. All are welcome. Please invite your family and friends for a vigorous discussion.

Learn more about Carolyn

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meetings

Coming in December

Our November meeting will be held on December 10th due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We're reading Sisterly Shove: A Fight to the Death Against Pancreatic Cancer and Dementia by Malia Kline.

To learn more about the book club or to become a member, please visit agingamazing.com.

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Coming Up Next: Pods & Book Club

10/16 - Dorothy Horne Book Club Replay

10/29 - Books and Chit Chat with Carolyn Birrell, Walking with Fay

10/30 - NEW AUTHOR: Helena Popovic, In Search of My Father: Dementia is no match for a daughter's determination (Outwitting Alzheimer's Book 1)

11/13 - Carolyn Birell Book Club Replay

11/27 - NO POD Thanksgiving (US) Break

12/4 - NEW AUTHOR: Allison Applebaum, Stand By Me: A Guide to Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregiving

12/10 - Books & Chit Chat with Malia Kline, Sisterly Shove

12/25 - HOLIDAY BREAK - NO POD

1/1 - HOLIDAY BREAK - NO POD

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Email address update

You may have tried to reach out to one of us using our personal @alzauthors email addresses and hit a dead end. That's because when we made the changes to our website we lost access to those email addresses. Please update your contacts to reflect our current, working email addresses. You can also contact us through our general email at AlzAuthors@gmail.com. Thank you! And we apologize for any confusion.

Marianne Sciucco: mariannesciucco@gmail.com

Jean Lee: jean@alzheimersdaughter.com

Vicki Tapia: vicki.tapia@gmail.com

Ann Campanella: anncampanella@gmail.com

Susan Landeis: contact@susanlandeis.com

Christy Byrne Yates: christy@christyyates.com

Ruth Stevens: ruth@ruthfstevens.com

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Susan's Design of the Week

Please share this with your friends and followers on social media using the following text, copy, paste and hit send!

In a world full of words, it can be nice to be silent. #AlzAuthors offers excellent stories and resources to unlock a world of possibilities that will inspire and support you on the #Alzheimers and #dementia journey. https://alzauthors.com/

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On Thursday, October 10th, at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET, Positive Approach to Care founder and dementia care expert Teepa Snow returns to Being Patient Live Talks for “Ask Teepa Anything” to answer Being Patient readers’ questions in real-time. Previous advice from other Teepa Snow Q&As can be found here. Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an Occupational Therapist with over forty years of clinical and academic experience. Her experiences led her to the development of the GEMS® States of Brain Change and the Positive Approach® training strategies. Her company, Positive Approach to Care® (PAC), provides online and in-person education and products to support those living with brain change. She also founded the Snow Approach Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

RSVP to this live talk to get your questions about dementia caregiving answered. Also, ask any questions you have below, in the comment section, so the Being Patient team can be sure to ask them live!

RSVP Here!

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Our mission is to provide quality resources for those concerned with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Please help by connecting with us in at least one new way this week:

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