In 2013, at age 59, Sumi was diagnosed with younger onset Alzheimer’s disease. KC, a former engineering executive at Chrysler, had been happily married to Sumi for more than 40 years but done little caregiving. He hoped for a misdiagnosis, read all the books he could and eventually turned to soul searching and reflection to get them both through the first three years of their journey. At first, he wanted to change Sumi, but he learned that
he
needed to change to best meet her needs.
He first wrote formally about Sumi’s disease in 2015. Family and friends encouraged him to write more. He now writes a WhatsApp journal called,
My Journey with Sumi
, that allows him to channel his feelings, document changes, and share a glimpse into their lives with close family and friends. He writes “in the moment” without much dwelling on it or fine tuning, to help process his emotions. He finds it therapeutic.
KC shares these writings with
Caregiver Connection
to increase awareness of Alzheimer's disease and help others in similar situations find solace. We will send essays every week or two and hope that you, like us, are touched and inspired. Because of the urgent Covid-19 crisis now upon us, we begin in the present and will then go back to the beginning.
