“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
~ Anaïs Nin

This you tube video of 100-year-old Shirley reminiscing about her beloved husband, Moe, will make you cry, smile, and laugh. But, most of all, it will leave you with poignant words to cherish.

Pass the tissue, please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8TjO2FGnao

Startling statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association:

Impact on Caregivers

In 2013, 15.5 million family and friends provided 17.7 billion hours of unpaid care to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias – care valued at $220.2 billion, which is nearly eight times the total revenue of McDonald’s in 2012.

More than 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are women.

All caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s – both women and men – face a devastating toll. Due to the physical and emotional burden of caregiving, Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers had $9.3 billion in additional health care costs of their own in 2013. Nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high, and more than one-third report symptoms of depression. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp#impact

After reading the opinion piece, “My Mother’s Keepers,” in the April 13 edition of the New York Times, I realized I’m not alone. What about you? If you think you are alone go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/opinion/sunday/my-mothers-keepers.html?emc=edit_th_20140413&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=65830396

Vermont resident, Mary Ann Fuller Young recently published her first book! Here’s the press release from Champlain College of Burlington, VT:

Local author Mary Ann Fuller Young has written her first book, a memoir entitled Plainly and Simply, chronicling her journey through some of life’s most challenging hardships. Derived largely from her personal journals, the book details the difficulties Young faced when her beloved Francis was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Young does not shy from the reality of the disease, but rather reveals true insight into the daily efforts involved. Novelist and editor, Maudy Benz, comments “Young’s pithy, heart-felt prose enchants.” Readers dive into her life head on as she tackles the challenges before her and grows stronger on every page. Plainly and Simply is a tale of love and loss for any reader.

Young’s memoir is over twenty years in the making. As such, it provides valuable information about the signs and symptoms involved with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Early-onset Alzheimer’s currently affects over 200,000 people in the United States, all of them in their 40s and 50s. Told from the caregiver’s perspective, Plainly and Simply is not only touching, but revealing as well. A vast majority of men and women suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s do not realize there is a problem until long after the disease has begun affecting them. Instead, they attribute their memory slips to stress or other conflicting diagnoses. In Francis’ case, his struggles with alcoholism in his youth appeared to be the culprit.

After Francis’ diagnosis, Young reveals that the pair knew nothing about Alzheimer’s; they learned as they experienced it. Plainly and Simply details the early stages of Francis’ forgetfulness all the way through his confusion, and ultimately the lost, vacant look in his eyes. Readers join Young as she attempts to understand and care for the man that she loves as the disease progresses.

As a caregiver, Young’s perspective is invaluable. Her writing is straightforward and from the heart. Those currently dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, early-onset or otherwise, will find her honest approach to the memoir both helpful and motivating. Plainly and Simply serves as a reminder to caregivers that they are not alone in their experience and is an enlightening experience for all.

Young currently resides in South Burlington, VT. She is affiliated with Amherst Writers and Artists and has worked with this organization to develop a writing workshop called Write Time. Young attended Lasell Junior College and earned a BA in psychology from Connecticut College for Women. She also graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts with a Masters in Nonfiction Writing.

To purchase Mary Ann’s book, go to any bookstore, or you can order it at: orderplainly@gmail.com.

In her book, No Daughter of Mine is Going to Be a Dancer, Ms. Underwood shares her story of how she persevered to fulfill her dream to perform on stage. What makes her unique is that she published her book at the age of ninety-one, proving that aging does not necessarily mean it’s time to sit back and passively watch others leap and twirl across the stage. To read more about Ms. Underwood’s courageous, and inspirational story go to The Other Paper at: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk//launch.aspx?pbid=aacd0b83-2f20-43cc-b6ae-07ca0e39d8dc.

Enjoy!