Losing a Hero to Alzheimer's: The Story of Pearl (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781512707212)

This is a compelling story about the life of a caring woman, Pearl, who was the rock of her family and afflicted with Alzheimer's. She was in a bad marriage for over thirty years and had a strong relationship with God. Pearl was the biological mother of four children but a mother to many others. Jesse, Pearl's husband, was unfaithful and verbally and physical abusive throughout their entire marriage. Pearl also struggled with depression. Her husband conveniently remained in denial about her illness. That way he wouldn't have to address his wife losing her independence. As Pearl progressed through the grueling stages of Alzheimer's, she became more and more forgetful. She was forced to retire from her job and started to lose her social life. With the stress from her marriage that she masked for so many years and an unsafe living environment, Pearl's condition took a turn for the worse. As the illness progressed, her body functions started to shut down. Patricia was forced to take action as other family members stood still, watching from the sidelines. When Patricia and Blake accepted Pearl into their home, it was the beginning of a divided family and an estranged relationship with her father, who was bitter and felt betrayed. Trish held on to God as she dealt with the stress from her family and her mother's debilitating disease.