Dancing with Lewy: A Father-Daughter Dance, Before and After Lewy Body Dementia Came to Live With Us

by Nancy R. Poland

A woman recounts dementia’s toll on her family and shares lessons she learned that can provide help and hope to caregivers tending to their own loved ones.

Within Dancing with Lewy , readers meet Lee and Nancy. Lee was born into a large farming family just before the Great Depression. He was a World War II Veteran, self-made businessman, artist, poet, and a man who would give a stranger his last nickel. Lee’s third daughter, Nancy, is practical, organized, pragmatic, a writer, and equals her father in a passion for life. Nancy was determined to take the helm when Lee’s mind began “dancing” with Lewy body dementia even though he resolved to remain independent while his mind slipped away. Within Dancing with Lewy , readers also meet God as the one who carried the family through this storm and offered grace to the weariness of the family.

This memoir is written through Nancy’s eyes while original poetry by Lee is woven throughout to provide readers a glimpse into his outlook to life. In Part I of Dancing with Lewy , Nancy revisits Lee’s young life, her own years growing up with her dad, and the toll dementia took on their family. She shares the pain of grief when her mom died of cancer and her dad became even more confused. In Part II, she shares the lessons she learned along the way and offers hope for caregivers tending to their loved one(s) who have a debilitating illness.

Nancy offers practical advice for caregivers such as how

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2020

About the author

Nancy Poland approaches life with a mix of compassion and practicality. Through her experience as a caregiver for her premature son, a foster child, grandparents and parents, Nancy seeks to better the lives of caregivers and their loved ones through her writing and speaking. She is the founder and owner of Nancy R Poland Connect.

A life-long resident of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, she, and her husband John, raised two sons and continue to contribute to their communities. Nancy is a volunteer Community Educator for the Alzheimer’s Association. You can read her blogs, videos, and caregiver resources at her website, and sign up for her newsletter.

Professionally Nancy is a Contracts and Compliance Manager where she utilizes her writing and negotiation skills to support a nonprofit. She is a trainer and mentor, both professionally, and in a volunteer capacity.

Reviews

[Hajar Khaled · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really had me in awe. I truly admire the unconditional love and compassion Nancy has for her father. The poems are so heartfelt and beautiful, and I love how Nancy incorporated them into the book. It was a very informative read, and offers a lot of support for caregivers in a really kind way. I’m so happy I came across this book.

[Patty Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author does a beautiful job of helping everyone understand the many layers of dementia. It will affect so many in more ways than we know. Beautifully told with personal anecdotes; a mix of happy and sad and mad and the frustrations of caring for our older loved ones. Highly recommend!!

[Het · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent word play in the title, the book is easy to read with small episodes in each chapter grouped under different themes making the story flow but did get bumpier some places as in few instances you would be traveling back in time. Also over all it felt like more blog like rather than novel and I felt the poems in between was just too much.
The part 2 of the book is my real favourite. Being an occupational therapist who has worked with people with neurological conditions, some of the given tips to caregivers, although basic are very important. I also liked how they discussed about medications but at the same time putting a disclaimer sort of at the start of that chapter that for medications contact your physician.
Overall a decent read. I would have loved a little more scientific tid bit about lewy body dementia in beginning in contrast to the given content in making the book even more wholesome.

[Tim Eichenbrenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "dancing with LEWY," Nancy R. Poland recounts her father's struggles with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), and explores her complicated relationship with her dad both before and after the onset of this neurologic disorder that ultimately led to his death. She honestly reveals the challenges they faced and how a mysterious illness only complicated them as they danced around and with LBD. Not only is it an honest portrayal of one family's journey, it's also instructive in how we should prepare as our loved ones age and encounter medical challenges. Anyone with such a family member will benefit by having read this book. I recommend it.

[Deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads like a memento written for surviving family members. It is repetitive, simplistic and often confusing as the author's telling of her family's story moves back and forth in time. That said, as someone who loves to learn how people cope with life's challenges, I did read it through in a few hours (skipping the poems and Bible verses). It is obvious that the manuscript became a book via vanity publishing, but the author was clearly trying to help readers in similar circumstances and does offer some common sense tips for caregivers.

[Linda Blakemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I related to this story on so many levels. My father was stricken with Early Onset Parkinsons Disease and, as I read, I found myself wondering if he, too, had Lewy! Like Nancy's father, my father is now gone, leaving us both with wonderful memories, a few regrets, and many unanswered questions. This father-daughter story was heartfelt, at times sad, and always loving, relatable, and real! The information, tips and resources contained in these pages are essential to anyone who is or may someday have someone to care for. We can all benefit from reading this book!

[Sherry Kochiyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Poland not only gives us a lesson on self care as a care giver to loved ones suffering from certain conditions but also teaches us more about lewy. The disease that is eating up Lee, her father. There is so much to learn from this book on how to handle the patient and also how to take care of yourself. Highly recommended for caregivers of patience suffering from terminal illnesses.

[Brandon Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad this out there to get another perspective and viewpoint of someone that lived what I am going through as a caregiver with my dad’s Lewy Body dementia. Struggled with the grammar errors. I understood the helpfulness for the writer to include all the poems and bible verses but made the flow very rough.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read especially for those going through or have a loved one with terminal illness. The emotions shine through. Grief, helplessness, relief, guilt and many more allow you feel and process what many families & people are going through today.