Christina Consolino Pens Novel on Caregiving Journey in “The Weight We Carry”

Mar 13, 2024 12:45 am

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Hello ,

I suspect most of us have been here: A loved one begins to show signs of cognitive dysfunction and our first reaction is to push it aside, to blame odd behaviors and lapses in memory on something else:

"He's stressed out."

"She is in her 80's."

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"It will pass."

This response is denial, and denial is not your friend when dementia is a possibility.

When my stepfather began exhibiting signs of cognitive disorder I started looking for answers right away. I also made my mother aware of this potential diagnosis. As a nurse, I knew that no one is immune to dementia, and the sooner I figured out what was happening the sooner I could come up with a plan that served both of their needs.

Not everyone has my knowledge and foresight, nor my parents' resources: excellent medical insurance, top-notch health care, access to care. We were among the lucky ones.

This week's book, The Weight We Carry, is a novel in which author Christina Consolino explores denial on the dementia journey, and the complicated, exhausting search to obtain a diagnosis, all of which may be familiar to many of us.

Christina writes: When Mom was diagnosed, I looked to websites, blog posts, and books, both nonfiction and fiction, to find a story to help us navigate the waters. Plenty of touching, heartfelt stories and informational texts existed, but I wasn’t finding a story quite like ours—one in which the pre-diagnosis stage was as heavy a burden as the post-diagnosis stage. One in which denial swamped the person living with dementia and their spouse. One that captured the turmoil, the angst, the weight that can come with medical crises and diagnoses. That's when I decided to use our experiences as inspiration for my novel, The Weight We Carry.

Fiction is an excellent way to explore the dementia journey. You will find not only information but a deep dive into the emotions that accompany us as caregivers.

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Our Latest Podcast: Mary Ann Drummond, RN

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AlzAuthors Book Club:

Here's the schedule through April:

March 26th 7pm EST: Ruth Stevens– Stage Seven, a novel
April 30th 7pm EST: A gathering of poets for National Poetry Month: featuring Sherri Levine, Stealing Flowers from the Neighbors; Sue Fagalde Lick, Gravel Road Ahead; Daniel Potts, MD, Bringing Art to Life; Margaret Stawowy, co-editor of Storms of the Inland Sea, an anthology with Jim Cokas

To learn more or to become a member, please visit agingamazing.com.

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meetings.

Enjoy the replay from January's meeting with Andrea Couture.

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Dementia &The Arts Festival

We’re proud to partner with the Bob and Diane Fund and the Dementia Spring Foundation for the 2024 Dementia ARTS Festival in New York City on April 11th with a a matinee and an evening performance at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater. The Festival is a celebration of the brilliant, powerful artwork awarded, spotlighted, and disseminated to the dementia care community in 2023, with key performances from Arlieta Hall, Jess King, Sam Simon the Dementia Man, and many more. AlzAuthor Kitty Norton will deliver the keynote. All the details, including links to grab your tickets, are available here.

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AlzAuthors on Time to Care: The Caregiver Podcast

Marianne was happy to meet with the lovely Isabel Melgarejo to talk about her caregiving journey and AlzAuthors on her podcast, Time to Care: A Caregiver Podcast on The Whole Care Network. Topic: Taking Care of Yourself as a Long Distance Caregiver. Isabel, aka The Tidy Coach, says, "I was raised never to talk about the uncomfortable things in life and to put myself after everyone else’s needs (just like any other woman I know). In college, after Dad’s passing, I had to change all my beliefs. I had to talk about death, about my mom’s future, and I had to ask for a LOT of favors. After connecting with many caregivers when I moved to Texas and remembering one of the toughest seasons in my life, I created a program to help caregivers navigate these very uncomfortable conversations and help them through their particular journeys with their loved ones. In this podcast, I want to share advice on how to prioritize your mental health, how to have those difficult conversations, and how to talk you out of feeling guilty and overwhelmed."

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The Podcast is now Available on Coming Home Well, Streaming Radio for Veterans

We recently partnered with Coming Home Well, an all volunteer non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, support and advocate for veterans and their caregivers through a network of podcasts, collaboration, and the CHW Streaming Radio Channel. This is a dedicated space for Veterans, First Responders, and those that stand behind the uniform, offering a holistic listening experience with a diverse range of resources podcasts, talk shows, and more.The podcast airs at 2:30 pm CST on Thursdays.

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Free Webinar: Managing Anger in the Dementia Caregiving Journey with Tami Anastasia

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We Have So Much to Learn ...

Friday, March 14th at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET: Brain health researchers are exploring new ways to leverage AI in the diagnosis of diseases like Alzheimer’s. One emerging field of study is that of vocal biomarkers: the way our voices sound. Some companies are even developing personal smart devices to identify vocal biomarkers — and, perhaps one day in the future, to aid in early diagnosis or even disease prevention. We asked David Liu, the CEO of Sonde Health, to join Live Talks to explain this emerging field, and tell us a bit more about the science behind voice biomarkers and their potential for early-identification of cognitive impairment. RSVP to this live talk to learn more about vocal biomarkers and their potential for early detection of cognitive decline.

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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:

March is National Read an Ebook Month! Ebooks make books more accessible and have changed the way we read. Browse our online collection of books on #Alzheimers and dementia created to support your experience. #ebooklove https://alzauthors.com/bookstore/

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