My Mom Inez
Our Alzheimer's Journey
by
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Mother and I looked forward to merging our lives and friends as we had seldom been able to do for more than forty years, and to have fun with each other, not just by ourselves, but with relatives and friends. I was sure that living with Mother would help her adjust more comfortably to her golden years, and help ease me into mine. Then one day, after a particularly difficult time with her thinking I was her father instead of her son, she said to me, “Well, if you’re not my dad and you’re not my Bob, who are you and why are you here?” She had spoken to my back because I was getting ready to sit down at our desk, and she was in a chair behind me. Her question stunned me. I turned and saw that her eyes seemed more glaring than seeing, and she looked frightened. I knelt beside her chair and said, “Mom, I know it doesn’t seem like it to you, but I really am your son Bob.” She was shaking her head no. “Your name may be Bob, but you’re not my Bob, and I don’t know who you are.” As difficult as that was for me to hear, I couldn’t help but think how awful it must be for her. How frightening to have a stranger living in her house with her, not knowing who he was or what he was doing there.
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About the Book
Alzheimer’s hijacked their plans, required their full attention, and forced them to change their daily habits—their very lives—in order to accommodate its merciless, unrelenting demands. In My Mom Inez, author Bob Miller shares the story of his family’s life against the backdrop of Alzheimer’s disease.
In this deeply personal and powerful account, Miller tells of his role as an only son who unexpectedly found himself in the position of having to care for his beloved mother, Inez, once it became clear she had been stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. In this memoir, he narrates his struggles to understand what was happening and how he then coped with the emotional, medical, social, and economic issues her condition brings to their lives.
With the family’s history interwoven, My Mom Inez demonstrates the strength of the human spirit as Miller remains dedicated to providing the same loving care for his mother that she delivered to him throughout his life.
About the Author
Bob Miller was an Alaskan for forty years, working as a journalist, political consultant, and communications, marketing, and public relations specialist. In 2004, he retired early in order to move to Longmont, Colorado, to care for his mother who eventually was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.