Painfully Aware
Today I am grateful for several phone conversations with friends and sisters over the weekend. I am also grateful for the simple wisdom of starting the day with the question "Am I present?"
Lisa reporting for duty for the day ahead. Suit up and show up. Even when staying buried under the covers seems like a better option. My sister Danita suits up and shows up. I can too. She is painfully aware of a disease called Lewy body dementia.
Her husband Roger has this form of dementia. He continues to decline and lose ground against a horrible disease. It is not rare, but many people haven't heard of it. I hadn't until Roger's diagnosis a couple of years ago, but over 1.3 million people in the U.S. have the diagnosis. Symptoms can closely resemble Alzheimer's and Parkinson's so LBD is probably underdiagnosed. Like the general population, many doctors and other medical personnel are not familiar with it.
Check out a post I wrote last October here. Or read more about it at the Lewy Body Dementia Association website at http://www.lbda.org
Purple is the color for LBD awareness and October is Lewy Body Dementia Awareness Month. I wear a purple bracelet every day to remind me of Roger and Danita and everyone else dealing with this terribly difficult diagnosis.
I am grateful for the support and programs available to Roger as a patient and
Danita as a caregiver.
Those who are familiar with Lewy body dementia have a painful awareness of it, but awareness needs to begin somewhere. We can only move forward in helping those who have LBD or love someone who does by increasing awareness which leads to increased action and advocacy.
I encourage you to read up on this form of dementia, to put on some purple, to say some prayers, to help others learn about LBD.
It all reminds me to not take this day or my health for granted.
Lisa reporting for duty for the day ahead. Suit up and show up. Even when staying buried under the covers seems like a better option. My sister Danita suits up and shows up. I can too. She is painfully aware of a disease called Lewy body dementia.
Her husband Roger has this form of dementia. He continues to decline and lose ground against a horrible disease. It is not rare, but many people haven't heard of it. I hadn't until Roger's diagnosis a couple of years ago, but over 1.3 million people in the U.S. have the diagnosis. Symptoms can closely resemble Alzheimer's and Parkinson's so LBD is probably underdiagnosed. Like the general population, many doctors and other medical personnel are not familiar with it.
Check out a post I wrote last October here. Or read more about it at the Lewy Body Dementia Association website at http://www.lbda.org
Purple is the color for LBD awareness and October is Lewy Body Dementia Awareness Month. I wear a purple bracelet every day to remind me of Roger and Danita and everyone else dealing with this terribly difficult diagnosis.
I am grateful for the support and programs available to Roger as a patient and
Danita as a caregiver.
Those who are familiar with Lewy body dementia have a painful awareness of it, but awareness needs to begin somewhere. We can only move forward in helping those who have LBD or love someone who does by increasing awareness which leads to increased action and advocacy.
I encourage you to read up on this form of dementia, to put on some purple, to say some prayers, to help others learn about LBD.
It all reminds me to not take this day or my health for granted.
Informative and supportive post Lisa. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThen my mission was accomplished. Thanks Aileen!
ReplyDelete