Journal

Journal Introduction

This journal is an account of our family's experience after our mother became ill with Lewy body disease. It was written by two of Mother's children, with input from the other two. (For purposes of clarity, the son who accompanied Mother and Dad on doctor visits is referred to as Son.)

Documenting our mother's decline has not been an easy task. Plus, we want to maintain our family's privacy. Nevertheless, we thought that writing this journal was important. Knowledge is invaluable. As hard as it might be, reading this journal can help families learn what to expect when a loved one is diagnosed with Lewy body disease and how to care for that person, particularly if you choose to care for the person at home. Our family has gone through many of the challenges you will face. We hope you can learn from what we went through.

A second goal of this journal is simply to make Lewy body disease better known. Everyone knows about Alzheimer's disease, but most people haven't even heard of Lewy body disease, despite the fact that it's the second most common form of dementia. We hope this journal will help make people (including health professionals) more aware of the disease.

Mother passed away in May 2006. This journal chronicles our experiences from early in her illness (1997-98) until then.

Journal Contents (How To Proceed)

You can start reading the journal by clicking the title of the first section below, or continue where you left off by clicking the appropriate section title. Remember that more sections will be added in the future.