A woman's 57 year old husband was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. "We cried for two solid months," she recalls. Quickly her husband was unable to work or drive and she became his primary caregiver while still working full time. Six years later, her husband died.
This remarkable woman survived the progression of her husband's disease, the heavy burden of his care and the grief following his death.
How did she do it?
Here's the approach she took:
· She adopted a strong positive attitude: "I decided that we would rise above it, and it would be our finest hour," she said.
· She signed up for an Alzheimer's education program.
· She joined a support group of partners of Alzheimer's patients.
· She asked for help from friends and family.
· She made the best of a challenging situation:
"It was a time to focus on the limited numbers of years we had left and make the best of them," she said.
This woman can serve as an inspiration and role model to those who face the challenge of loss, grief and bereavement. Like her, those who grieve must remind themselves that it is important to:
· Maintain a positive attitude - "This is hard but I can and will overcome."
· Become educated about grief issues. Read books and magazine articles. Attend a grief workshop.
· Join a support group of people who have lost a loved one to death.
· Ask for help from family and friends.
· Day by day, work to make the very best, the very most, out of a challenging life event.
When facing grief, think about this wisdom from Michigan State University psychologist John Schneider: "The first and necessary step of grief is discovering what you have lost. The next step is discovering what is left, what is possible."
