Under the Bridge Backwards: My Marriage, My Family, and Alzheimer's

A human story of a marriage and a family coming to terms with frailty and loss, this memoir gives friends and others who want to help a caregiver what they have long wished for: a place to start. Barbara Roy writes, Every caregiver's story is highly personal and different. Telling mine has allowed me to come clean, to tell the truth as I know it, to remember the caregiving experience tenderly and fearlessly, to savor the happy surprises, to wonder at the difficult ones, and to give thanks that I made it through the trials. Despite the grim realities of Alzheimer's disease, the message here is one of hope-that through thoughtful medical care, the love of family, and the support of community, many of the challenges faced by patients and their families can be mediated compassionately, reaffirming the indomitable nature of the human spirit. -Alvin Holm, MD, Medical Director, Medical Behavioral Services, Bethesda Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota This difficult story has a silver lining: the journey of the caregivers, family, and friends leads to support and resilience. I regret that I did not have access to such a memoir to help guide me through the loss of both my parents to dementia. -Tom Kingston, President (1990-2010), Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Far too few books are written about Alzheimer's disease from the family perspective. But Roy's book offers this, reflecting the complications of the human experience and the fullness of relationship with raw honesty. -Chad C. Breckenridge, LSW, PhD, Clinical Social Worker It takes courage to be a caregiver. It is also takes courage to write with unflinching honesty the story of your family as you face an Alzheimer's diagnosis together. Barbara Roy fills her memoir with the highs and lows of many adjustments and altered expectations. She lets the reader accompany her, her husband, Phil, and their family on their voyage through Alzheimer's. -Ted Bowman, author of Loss of Dreams: A Special Kind of Grief and Finding Hope When Dreams Have Shattered I recommend this book to all caregivers and families of patients with memory problems or Alzheimer's disease. From first encountering problems at home to reluctantly acknowledging that it's acceptable to ask family and friends for assistance, it will help readers deal with a surprising variety of challenges. It is full of wisdom that will provide much needed perspective to caregivers and especially those who support them. -Charles Ormiston, MD, board certified neurologist in private practice Poetically written with compassion, honesty, and grace, this book will inform and support the tumultuous journey of caregivers and the people who care about them. Fellow clinicians and all others who give care to one who suffers from Alzheimer's disease or their family members will be glad to have found this insightful personal story. -Abby Dawkins, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Social Worker