Watching Her Go: The Beauty and Tragedy of Alzheimer's Disease Captured in a Daughter's Poetry (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780692892428)

Ann grew up with her parents and two brothers in Northbrook, Illinois and Roanoke, Virginia. After graduating from college, she married a career U.S. Marine. She and her husband had a son and moved several more times to wherever they would be stationed next. In 2003, Ann's husband had retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and they decided to settle in Northern Virginia. Her parents then moved to the area so that they could be near family as they aged. That turned out to be a blessing when her mother was diagnosed with dementia. In 2013, Ann's mom was moved into a memory care facility after her father had lovingly and diligently taken care of her for several years. During that time, Ann learned about the daily struggles and the physical, emotional and financial toll Alzheimer's disease takes on families and society. She also learned how to love her mother in the so very important trivial things - sitting together quietly, doing simple crafts, going out for ice cream and walking the halls. One of her mom's favorite things was to listen to Ann play hymns on the piano. Ann's mom passed away on June 8, 2016, and it is her hope that you will find many of the experiences she went through that are written about in her book, Watching Her Go: The Beauty and Tragedy of Alzheimer's Disease Captured in a Daughter's Poetry to be helpful and cathartic.