(PAGETITLE) | Conversations of a couple going through Dementia

Ch.159 Transitions

Ch.159 Transitions August 3, 2022 I made a promise to myself not to make any significant decisions during my first month of grieving for Pat. I had Read more

Ch. 158 Heartache

Ch. 158 Heartache July 28, 2022. Several weeks ago, I agreed to a request from Marian, a social worker at Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire, to speak Read more

Ch.157 Beautiful Service, Somber Burial, and Unending Grief

Ch.157 Beautiful Service, Somber Burial, and Unending Grief Monday, July 25, 2022 Pat was honored on Saturday with a combination funeral and celebration of her life. Read more

Ch.156 Unprepared for Life After Lewy Body: My Fear of Boredom

Ch.156 Unprepared for Life After Lewy Body: My Fear of Boredom July 9, 2022 Today, eight days after my wife Pat died from the effects of Lewy Body Dementia, I read about Read more

Ch.148 PAT POTTER-EFRON OBITUARY

Ch.148 PAT POTTER-EFRON OBITUARY Patricia Sue Potter-Efron, 77, passed away on Friday, July 1, 2022, at Azura Memory Care Center, from a combination of Lewy Body Dementia and the auto-immune disorder Read more

Ch. 147 Pat Quietly Passes Away

Ch. 147 Pat Quietly Passes Away June 30 and July 1,2022 I answered the phone just as I was about to leave my house to drive to The Refuge. “Will you get Read more

Ch.146 Ron Feels a Premonition

Ch.146 Ron Feels a Premonition June 27,2022. I don’t believe in premonitions, I’m telling myself. I’ve never had one, either… until this morning. But today, when I came to The Refuge and Read more

Ch.145 Getting Stuck in the Courtyard Brings Back a Sad Memory

June 21, 2022 The Refuge, Pat’s memory care facility, has a small but attractive courtyard in which residents can sit, take short walks, and visit. I take Pat there every day Read more

Ch.144 Pat Keeps Losing Weight Even Though She Eats Well.

120.8 pounds. That’s Pat’s most recent weight. This from a woman who weighed over 200 pounds before Lewy Body began its attack on her brain and body. True, Pat is Read more

Ch. 143 Pat No Longer Has the Ability to Help Write This Dialogue.

June 2022 I have feared this moment, the instant when I must type the following message: Pat can no longer contribute her words to our dialogue. Now, Read more

Ch.142 Looking into the Void: Pat’s Blank Stare Scares Ron

May 2022 It’s lunchtime at The Refuge. Pat eats a few bites; I look down to pick up another forkful for her but when I return it’s Read more

Ch.141 “I Love You, Sometimes”

May 2022 It took me forty-five seconds to walk speedily from the dining room to the kitchen, open the cupboard, select a wide but short glass, and Read more

Ch. 140 A Death in the Family

Ch. 140 A Death in the Family May 2022 “My mom is dying.” Hector, my good friend Read more

Ch.139 Good Day/Bad Day: the Lewy Body Roller Coaster is Still Operating

Ch.139 Good Day/Bad Day: the Lewy Body Roller Coaster is Still Operating May 2022 Here’s how Pat was diagnosed with Lewy Body: Read more

Ch.138 Ron Refuses to Give Up Hope

Ch.138 Ron Refuses to Give Up Hope May 2022 “I hope Pat lives at least to the end of this year,” Read more

Ch.137 Pat Was Diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia Exactly Four Years Ago Today

Ch.137 Pat Was Diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia Exactly Four Years Ago Today April 12, 2022 This day marks the fourth-year anniversary Read more

Ch. 136: Ron’s Covid Fatigue Helps Him Better Understand How Lewy Body Affects Pat

Ch. 136: Ron’s Covid Fatigue Helps Him Better Understand How Lewy Body Affects Pat My bout with Covid has given me insight about Pat’s Lewy Body Read more

Ch.135 A Covid Outbreak at The Refuge Includes Pat and Then Ron

Ch.135 A Covid Outbreak at The Refuge Includes Pat and Then Ron April 2022. Saturday I noticed that Jeff, a Read more

Ch.134 “I Wonder What I’ve Missed”

Ch.134 “I Wonder What I’ve Missed” April 2022 The last few days with Pat have been exciting because she’s been healthy, happy, Read more

Ch.133 Creative Dining the Lewy Body Way

Ch.133 Creative Dining the Lewy Body Way April 2022 Mealtimes with Pat can be intriguing adventures. Today, for example, Pat decided to push her luncheon of peas Read more