The Color Purple for LBD Awareness
Today I am grateful for sore muscles to remind me of my physical capabilities. I am also grateful for what my family members teach me as they live their lives--both my own family and my family of origin.
My sister Danita is teaching me about handling a very difficult set of circumstances with dignity and grace. Her husband Roger has Lewy body dementia and the disease is progressing. Roger used to bike and hike for many miles and he used to be witty and sharp in conversations. Though he is still here, this terrible disease has taken her husband away from my sister. The man she is caring for today is not the man she married. Words and phrases like "extremely difficult," "incomprehensible grief," and "heartbreaking" come to my mind when I think about the two of them. And I think about them daily.
Like many people, I had never heard of Lewy body dementia until it struck someone I know. This month is Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) Awareness Month and the color to promote that awareness is purple. Danita is an expressive soul and applies that to creating things like this:
My sister Danita is teaching me about handling a very difficult set of circumstances with dignity and grace. Her husband Roger has Lewy body dementia and the disease is progressing. Roger used to bike and hike for many miles and he used to be witty and sharp in conversations. Though he is still here, this terrible disease has taken her husband away from my sister. The man she is caring for today is not the man she married. Words and phrases like "extremely difficult," "incomprehensible grief," and "heartbreaking" come to my mind when I think about the two of them. And I think about them daily.
Like many people, I had never heard of Lewy body dementia until it struck someone I know. This month is Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) Awareness Month and the color to promote that awareness is purple. Danita is an expressive soul and applies that to creating things like this:
She made several such creations and took them to facilities in her community, along with information about LBD. As she talked about the energy she applied to this work, the word therapeutic came to my mind. She is definitely making a difference and spreading awareness. She may never know how many people it will touch, but it is sure touching me. I am proud of my sister. My heart aches. I am not in her shoes and cannot fathom what she is dealing with on all levels. I may not be in her shoes, but her and Roger are in my heart, and in my prayers, every day.
To learn more about LBD, go to the Lewy Body Dementia Association here.
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI must admit, I have not heard of Lewy Body Dementia. Here's yet another color and cause that gets lost in the pink I guess. I'm sure you are a great source of help for your sister as she manages all that she must. Thank you for the lessons within this post, Lisa.
The lessons my sister is learning are some of the toughest lessons in any book. I am grateful she has the support of many, including other caregivers facing the devastation of this disease. Maybe mixing in a few more colors in October will tone down the pink hype while bringing the right kind of education and awareness to much needed areas like LBD and MBC. We can hope. Thanks Nancy!
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