AlzAuthors: Cathie Borrie and The Long Hello

By Cathie Borrie 

In an almost Zen-like poetic form, my mother revealed the changing landscape of her mind: 

“Listen, Cathie . . . a bird!” 

“What are the birds saying?’ 

“They’re chirping.” 

“In a language?” 

“In their language. In an upside down language.” 

She expressed an imaginative, artistic perspective many times during her experience of living with Alzheimer’s, and her comments were so often full of insight, humor, and an astonishingly poetic sensibility that I started to tape our conversations. Between us, a wondrously poetic dialogue developed, which I further illuminated with childhood memories of our family and my struggle to maintain a life outside caregiving responsibilities. 

I pursued the writing because I felt the world needed to hear her voice. Needed to know that people with Alzheimer’s are stigma-busters. She was not an empty shell, there was no long forgetting of her, she was not my long goodbye. 

“What do you think about the sky?” 

“Oh, I don’t know about the sky . . . I don’t really know about it. But you have to wear gloves because it puts fingerprints on it–and you don’t want that.” 

Cathie Borrie

Although I had two publishers who were interested in presenting The Long Hello as a work of fiction, the book took the form of a memoir–where would be the stigma-busting if it was a fictional account? It was her magical voice, weaving throughout the book, which I loved so dearly and wanted to share with others. Amidst many unhappy moments, as there are with any neurological chronic disease, she shone a much needed light on the experience with a hopeful perspective. 

The feedback on the book from noted writers and Alzheimer’s experts like Maya Angelou and Lisa Genova has been rewarding, and I have been heart warmed by responses from the dementia community who welcome the verbatim voice of someone living with Alzheimer’s. The lyrical, poetic form of the work seems to appeal to people looking for something other than a “how-to” book. I think our story “shows” rather than “tells.” 

“Cathie was up here and she said to me, ‘Mum, I’m not going to offer to give them my shadow.’” 

“Really? Where was this?” 

“Somewhere . . . on the other side of here.”

***

Purchase The Long Hello

Connect with Cathie Borrie

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @cathieborrie

AlzAuthors: Ann Campanella Shares Her Story of Motherhood and Dementia

by Ann Campanella

In my early 30s, I learned that life can change direction when you least expect it. My husband Joel and I had moved from Houston to North Carolina in order to be closer to my parents. We both had successful careers – he as a businessman and me as a writer and editor. We were looking forward to building a barn for my horse Crimson and excited about starting a family.

Life was humming along. Then I had my first miscarriage at the same time my mother began her slow spiral into Alzheimer’s. Motherhood: Lost and Found tells the story of losing my mother while I was trying to become a mother and suffering through infertility. For almost a decade, I walked a painful path of questioning who my mother was becoming and if I would ever be a mother myself.

Most of my friends had children of their own and spent their days caring for them. I was thrust into the role of caretaker for my parents, while I yearned to focus on my own children. My mother had always been kind and compassionate, so it was a shock when she wasn’t able to comfort me in my pregnancy losses.

AlzAuthors: Molly LeGrand and The Upside of Aging

By Molly LeGrand

I’ve worked in Long Term Care as an Activities Assistant for ten years. This role has offered a unique perspective on Alzheimer’s as I typically will meet the person after a diagnosis. And just like I would with a new friend or colleague, I begin to get to know them, and I get to know them with Alzheimer’s.  I was fortunate to start my career in the aging services with a mentor dedicated to the teaching of resident’s rights and the promotion of quality of life. These concepts have become my foundation as I grow in the field.

My motivation to write about Alzheimer’s is personal.  This diagnosis can be an extremely emotional time not only for the person but also their family and loved ones. I saw writing my blog The Upside of Aging as an opportunity to not only join in on a well-established conversation but as a possibility to share my more positive experiences with people living with Alzheimer’s.   I don’t offer medical advice, but I do hope to bring some clarity to an often misunderstood disease.

AlzAuthors: Wayne Evans' Music Ministry "Let's Sing From Memory"

by Wayne Evans

I’ve never had a family member diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, nor have I been a caregiver. I didn’t even know much about the disease until recently. But now I have a “new family” of over 20 people with Alzheimer’s, in addition to their loving caregivers.

My “new family” began in March of 2014 when, with a team of 20 volunteers, I started a ministry called “Let’s Sing From Memory.” This is a community outreach social gathering, held twice each month at Christ United Methodist Church in Chattanooga, TN. People with Alzheimer’s or other dementia, who are living at home, attend with their caregivers and other family members for fellowship and group singing of familiar old songs and hymns.

While on a work assignment in England in 2009, I watched a BBC TV documentary called “Wonderland: The Alzheimer’s Choir.” It featured an outreach program called "Singing for the Brain," sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK. I was fascinated as couples spoke about the social support and told how singing renewed old memories and even had an effect on their communication after they returned home. The

documentary was my introduction to Alzheimer’s Disease and as it touched my heart, I knew that I wanted to find a way to help.

AlzAuthors: Paula Spencer Scott, "Surviving Alzheimer's: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers"

By Paula Spencer Scott

I knew little about dementia back when my grandmother began using a kitchen pot for a commode. Or when my dad began wailing, "Oh why didn't anyone tell me?" on the day after my mother's funeral, because he'd already forgotten she died.

So how did I wind up writing a guide to Alzheimer's care? I followed the motto I've used for my entire career covering health and family for national media: “Write what you DON’T know.”

That's how you find out.

Back when firstborn balked at toilet training, I was lucky to interview Dr. Benjamin Spock himself. As a contributing editor of Parenting and Baby Talk while I raised four kids, I quizzed gurus-of-the-moment like T. Berry Brazelton, Richard Ferber, Sheila Kitzinger, and Penelope Leach. I tracked down researchers behind the latest studies for my Woman’s Day "Momfidence" column. I wrote a parenting book series for Time Inc. and The Happiest Toddler on the Block with top baby doc Harvey Karp.

It’s what I do: Find the best experts, ask the right questions, listen, and then organize and share their ideas in ways that help laypeople.

AlzAuthors: Sharleen Scott, Tangles

by Sharleen Scott

Her name was Judy, and I married her son. 

She was a Depression-era child who grew up in the Pacific Northwest forests, traveling with her grandfather’s logging company. She was an outdoorswoman who loved fishing, hunting, and hosting friends and family at her Cascade mountain cabin. 

She married Paul at age seventeen, but was separated from him soon after by the bombing of Pearl Harbor. While he operated the radio aboard a PT boat supply ship in the Pacific, she was the embodiment of Rosie the Riveter, making airplane wings in Spokane and welding in the Bremerton shipyards. When he was called up again during the Korean conflict, she packed their belongings in the car and shipped it to Adak, Alaska, on a ferry so she and her daughter could be with him for the duration. After the war, their son was born, and the family was complete.

She was a Campfire Girls leader, a women’s club member, and active in the Grange. She was a crew supervisor in a fruit-packing warehouse, and when she retired, she began to forget things. She’d laugh and say, “I’m not working anymore. I don’t need to think.” The memory loss escalated and ultimately the diagnosis was Alzheimer’s disease. It was the late ’90s, and we didn’t know much about the disease other than Ronald Reagan had it.  

New Release Spotlight: Drakkar ~ Beyond the Lie, a Paranormal/Fantasy by Sandra Bischoff

Sandra Bischoff is a fellow Hudson Valley author and a three-time participant in Middletown Thrall Library's Local Authors and Illustrators Showcase, which I am proud to help organize. This is her latest release, third in her paranormal/fantasy series.

~ About the Book ~

Drakkar Dragoni, the only son of Princess Absinthe Dragoni, always believes what his mother tells him. Humans are nothing more than cattle bred to nourish their kind, and her half brother, Jared Bonatelli, stole a kingdom which is rightfully hers. Drakkar vows to right this wrong, even if it means Jared dies by his hand. But what if none of it is true?

What if this is his mother's biggest lie yet? Who can he turn to? Who will help him escape the prison within his own home?

~ An Excerpt ~

The gods must have been on his side for once. When they got to Serenity’s house, her mother was asleep. There were no awkward introductions and no explanations as to why he needed to stay there till the next night. Nope, nothing like that. Instead, Nettie whisked him to the lower level in the immense home and led him to a cozy nook of a guest room, far away from any windows.  

Flipping on the light, she set about pulling blankets and pillows from the closet, tossing them on the full size bed across the room. Drake took advantage of her distraction and sat, watching her. She was nothing like the women he was accustomed to. That was saying a hell of a lot given the only female he was repeatedly subjected to happened to be Absinthe. With her as a role model, he’d been spoon fed manipulation and hatred since the crib and there was no end to it in sight.

He put a hand on the pile of pillows and linen beside him. “Exactly how many of these do you think I need?”

“Oh, is there not enough?” She turned to face him, blowing some stray hair out of her eyes. “I can probably find some more.”

“No, I think you have enough to smother me to oblivion right here. I’m good, thanks.” He chuckled.

“What? I figured since I don’t have a coffin, at least I could create a comfortable cocoon for you this way.”

“Cocoon? What the -  Serenity, I’m not a caterpillar. And I certainly don’t sleep in a coffin, geez. Friggin’ Hollywood.”

Nettie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “Hello! Joke! I’m only trying to make you comfortable.”

“Oh.” He patted the mattress beside him. Serenity flashed one more look of annoyance before sitting. “As long as we just keep sunlight away, I’ll be fine. The room has no windows, so we’re golden right now.”

“You’re sure? You don’t need anything else? How about something for that headache? I’m sure I can find some aspirin or something. Just give me a second to scrounge some up.” Nettie stood and sprinted for the door, only to have him snag her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

“Like I told you before, I’ll be fine.” He yawned. “Thanks for letting me crash here. I appreciate it. You don’t even know me. I could be a monster, yet you trust me in your home.”

He pulled her closer until she stood right in front of him. Cupping his cheek in her hand, Nettie bent till they were nose to nose. “Drakkar, you aren’t a monster. We met tonight for a reason and I have to believe it’s because I’m supposed to help you somehow.”

He gazed deeply into her eyes. She meant every word she said, believed it even. What if it was true? What if he was dropped there by someone or something so they could meet? But why? So many damn questions, but no answers.

“You know, if I decide to kill everyone in this house, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

She nibbled her lip, still cupping his cheek. “Think so?”

He nodded. “Bet your life on it.” 

Nettie leaned closer. Their lips were a breath apart. “That’s a bet I’d make any day.”

“Oh yeah?” His own voice was a mere whisper.

“Yup. I have a crossbow and I know how to use it. I’ll stake your ass before you could blink those pretty blue eyes of yours.” Serenity pulled away from him and headed for the door. “Just hit number one on the intercom if you need anything.” The door closed quietly behind her.

~ About the Author ~

Sandra Bischoff lives in the historic town of Cornwall, NY with her extremely patient husband and teenage son she affectionately calls the Demon. She is a Pharmacist by profession but found her true calling in a simple twist of fate. A friend approached her to write in a forum on a popular networking website. Over the next five years, her passion had found its niche. She went on to compose a few poems and short stories which she would post on her homepage at the same networking site.  

Her debut novel, Beyond the Sun, was published April 2013 by Bayou Brew Publishing. She recently was named to Amazon's best seller list in the Fantasy/Epic category. Sandra's second book in this series entitled Beyond Time was released earlier this spring in time for the Romantic Times Convention in New Orleans where she was a featured author at the Book Fair.

She has since left Bayou Brew Publishing to embark on the next chapter of her writing career, Independent Publishing. As of this time she has re-released both books in e-book and paperback formats. They can be found on Amazon.com.

~ Other books by Sandra Bischoff ~

Beyond the Sun

Beyond Time
  
~ Connect with Sandra Bischoff ~

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Google+

YouTube