It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.…………………
– Mother Teresa, missionary
THE BOOKS
Caregiver Books, Spouse-caregiver
DO YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND the caregiver’s life?
Do you yearn to feel encouragement and support?
Then YOU will resonate with the shared experiences,
both on this blogsite and in these two books!
Accepting the Gift of Caregiving , Part One,
“Is There Any Ice Cream?“
Surviving the Challenges of Caregiving for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s, Anxiety and COPD
Published July 2019
In 2018, the Alzheimer Society of Canada website showed over half a million people in Canada were living with dementia. Plus, over 50 million worldwide were said to be living with a form of memory loss.
How many unsuspecting family members had to jump into the role of caregiver without warning or training? Often, that caregiver was a spouse, who became confused, challenged and eventually overwhelmed from the stress of caring for a loved one.
Judith Allen Shone fell into that category. It never occurred to her to ask “what if” her love became ill and she, alone, had to become the one to take care of him. She never dreamed she would have to become a solo caregiver. But that is exactly what happened. It is from her experiences that Shone came to believe no caregiver should be walking their path afraid or alone.
Written for all caregivers and those who want to learn, Shone juggles humor with insight, as she chronicles the story of an untrained, and desperate caregiver who, in her memoir-story style, relates her formidable experiences while accompanying her loved one, who, unbeknown to him, was living through the most terrifying times of his life. In her book, Shone reveals light, reflective moments from the unexpected emotional chaos that materialized while caring for a loved one with COPD, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, cancer, and anxiety, with occasional mysteries arising. Includes one successful intervention. “And just like that, I was a caregiver.” Accepting the Gift of Caregiving, is a two-book series, “Is There Any Ice Cream?” and “Did You Hide the Cookies?”
See reader comments shared 💖 in The Commentary
Accepting the Gift of Caregiving, Part Two,
“Did You Hide the Cookies?“
Inescapable Heartaches of Caregiving for My Love with Alzheimer’s, Anxiety, and COPD
Published August 2020
One day there is a diagnosis. And in that instant, you become a caregiver. Now what?
Unexpectedly, Judith Allen Shone begins the journey of an unprepared and terrified caregiver when her aging loved one is diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. In her mid-seventies and alone, she longs for assistance as she navigates the realm of Alzheimer’s to find information, resources, services, and counseling.
Following the challenges that begin in “Is There Any Ice Cream?,” the stories in “Did You Hide the Cookies?” reflect candid and personal experiences with later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Shone faces demands and heartaches that ravage and exhaust her spirit as her love’s memories continue to fade, anxiety attacks increase, and COPD closes in on his lungs.
Become immersed in Shone’s world as she seeks to dispel the misconceptions surrounding her love’s fatal diseases. Even while she eases apprehensions and encourages caregivers to find lifelines, she cannot hide the desperation she feels when, after eight years, caregiving begins to extract an emotional and physical toll. Shone finally experiences heart wrenching conflict when her love’s name is added to the crisis list, moving him toward finding residence in a long-term care facility. And then, she learns her love is going nowhere.
Title Note:
“Ever since My Love was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly nine years ago, his appetite for cookies began to equal to his persistent craving for ice cream! Hence, the titles for the two books, Is There Any Ice Cream? and Did You Hide the Cookies?“
~ Accepting the Gift of Caregiving blog
The Bookshelf © 2020 Judith Allen Shone
Available in paperback, hardcover and eBook…order online or order locally from your favourite bookstore. Visit My Bookstore page here
© Judith Allen Shone 2019-2022
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