The All Weather Friend's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease

is a book you must get if you are a friend or caregiver to someone with Alzheimer's. This book is a real "hands on" book in helping you to communicate with those that have the disease. Dr. Mary Cail is the author and she has certainly done her research on this book.

After I was first diagnosed people didn't know how to talk to me. They thought (and some still do) that I couldn't think for myself, that I couldn't understand them and they would talk around me, not to me. They would (and some still do) say --"You look great -- you don't have Alzheimer's", or "we all forget things every now and then I'm sure you're fine". They say things like this because they don't know what else to say. Dr. Cail helps you out with this. She gives you avenues to go down with those with the disease -- in all stages of the disease, not just early on-set.

Some of the stories in the book are sad, but you need to read them. It will help you understand the disease from the perspective of someone who has Alzheimer's.

In terms of full disclosure, I must tell you that she has used some things from this blog in her book, but that isn't why you should buy it. She deals with the "elephant in the room" kinds of things that happen on a regular basis to us that have the disease. No one wants to broach the subject but she helps you through this. She shows that we don't have to be "alone" in our disease if our friends and family know how to deal with it. Most Alzheimer's patients and family will tell you that after the diagnosis, friends pull away. You don't get those invitations to go out, you don't get company very often. Dr. Cail tells you how to feel comfortable in those situations.

Some of my friends point blank asked me after my diagnosis -- what should I say to you if I see you and you don't recognize me? I was grateful for the question, because they cared enough to want to know the answer. Today, sometimes I see people I know out shopping and they avoid me -- I don't know if they avoid me because they didn't see me or if they just don't know what to say. I know it's hard. but friends make the effort and this book helps.

Dr. Cail's book can be found on Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+All-Weather+Friend%27s+Guide+to+Alzheimer%27s+Disease&x=0&y=0

I can't do the book justice here, but if you get the book, you'll be glad you did. And, share it with your friends -- it will help them understand Alzheimer's so much more.