Learning to Weather the Storm Quotes

“We should absolutely keep fighting to find a cure. But, I urge you not to give up on your life in doing so. Don't sit around waiting for a cure.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“Aside from balancing the roles of being a caregiver and being myself, it is difficult to balance my parents' needs and my own needs.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“How can I be both the patient, attentive caregiver and still have fun being myself? It's a balance and it's not easy.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“I believe that if people knew more about Alzheimer's, then they would be more likely to keep in touch with a family member, friend, or neighbor who has the disease. They wouldn't be so scared or turned off by it. They would want to help out as much as they want to help their friend who's been battling cancer for years.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“We can become used to doing things that we could have never imagined ourselves doing before we were suddenly doing them. After a while, it becomes no big deal. We adapt ourselves and our lives to the changes around us. The thing is that we are always capable of doing more than we think we can do. It really is true that you don't know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. It never gets any easier, but you always get stronger.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“I feel guilty for things I've done. I feel guilty for things I haven't done. I feel guilty for everything. I never feel like I'm doing enough to help out. I always feel like I could have done more.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's creates an environment that perpetuates a constant state of guilt. I felt guilty that I didn't spend enough time with my mom.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“I don't think my friends back then even knew the extent of my sadness and depression. They didn't know how all-consuming my mom's Alzheimer's was for me. It wasn't like she was getting noticeably worse by the day. It wasn't like something bad or scary was happening to her every day. She had never been in the hospital because of her Alzheimer's. It wasn't like she was going to die tomorrow. But, I thought about her Alzheimer's all day, every single day.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“When dealing with Alzheimer's, the grieving process is ongoing. It repeats itself over and over again. Just when you've come to accept a loss, you experience a new loss and the grieving process begins again. When a loved one has Alzheimer's, you lose a little bit of more of that person each day. You are constantly losing, grieving, and accepting. Some losses hit you harder than others, but you are constantly repeating the stages of grief regardless of the significance of the loss.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“I went through all of the five stages of grief.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“I mean, it wasn't like she had died. Then, people might care. I always reminded myself that there were many people who had it far worse than me, so I had no right to complain about my problems. Besides, nobody liked a Debbie Downer.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's

“It's not even as if she had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Well, Alzheimer's ultimately is terminal and she would eventually die from it. But, someday, not today. In some ways, I thought that it would have been easier to digest the diagnosis of a terminal illness. At least then we would have had an end in sight. Somewhere to go from there. Closure. Alzheimer's is like being sentenced to life in prison for a crime you didn't commit. Only you wake up each morning forgetting where you are and why you're there. So, you just sit and wait for the disease to take hold of your mind and control of your life.”
― Lauren Dykovitz, Learning to Weather the Storm: A Story of Life, Love, and Alzheimer's