Mama Is Still Here!

This book is for Alzheimer's patients, caregivers, and their loved ones. Alzheimer's is a fatal inflammatory degenerative brain disease that causes a gradual decline in brain activity. Over an approximate period of ten years, Alzheimer's patients progressively lose various forms of memory, culminating in a vegetative state before death. At each leg of this arduous journey, loved ones fall victim to Alzheimer's patients' loss of special memories, recognition, and simple blessings, such as smiles, acknowledgment, or a warm touch. In the early stages of Alzheimer's, symptoms are inconsistent and unpredictable, which makes diagnosis difficult. Once symptoms become more consistent and predictable, and the disease has progressed to moderate stages, brain function decline is noticeable and undeniable. My Mama, Daisy, has Alzheimer's disease. Mama was diagnosed once the disease had progressed to the moderate stage. Initially, learning Mama having Alzheimer's was unbelievable and inconceivable to me. I wanted to know the probable causes and available treatments. I wanted to learn as much as I could to better support our family's trial or fight with Alzheimer's. I was more than willing to go into battle for her. As I learned more about the disease and the unfortunate prognosis, I felt overwhelmed by fear and utter disappointment. The diagnosis seemed unfair to me because Mama had always taken good care of herself. She carefully monitored her diet and always incorporated exercise and activity into her daily routine. Mama lived by and believed in Benjamin Franklin's famous quote, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and instilled it in her family. After the diagnosis, sometimes I would torture myself with the ultimate question, "How could this have happened to her?" Finally, I cried out to God in prayer. I asked God to remove the spirit of fear from my heart, to help me move forward, and to help me ride the waves of my overwhelming emotions. Through prayer and thanksgiving, I asked God for His peace and His wisdom for all things yet to come with Mama's Alzheimer's disease. As the head of my household, I also knew I had to be strong not only for my Mama but for my own family. I wondered if I would manage it all and divest my feelings from what to do for Mama's sake. Included in this book are collections of twenty-one stories reflecting upon Mama's life before and after her Alzheimer's diagnosis, along with Bible scriptures and prayers. Mama's storytelling entails the family's lineage, life on the family farm in Mississippi. The special memories promoted meaning, purpose, the pride of family, personal accomplishments, and exploration of simpler times. The twenty-one chapter's titles are famous Rhythm and Blues hits from the 1960s and 1970s. The chapters are subdivided into five sections: Song Facts, Flashbacks, Story, Scripture Help, and Prayer. The section labeled 'Song Facts' briefs the reader on the song's background information, such as release date and recording artist. I hope the 'Song Facts' will allow the reader to pause and reflect on the songs meaning and how it connects to the stories shared in this book. Next is a section titled 'Flashback' describing an event occurring before Mama's Alzheimer's diagnosis. I either used 'Flashbacks' to share a heartfelt moment with Mama before Alzheimer's disease or to develop empathy for the emotions Mama was experiencing in her times of distress and despair. Each chapter is concluded with scriptures and prayers. The scriptures and prayers are words of encouragement and words of challenging and inspiring thoughts centered on the Christian faith. I hope that the collections of scriptures and prayers I was inspired to include will help those confronted with the disease to move to a more peaceful acceptance and develop a greater understanding of the unparalleled world of Alzheimer's.