Publisher's Synopsis
One day your loved one begins forgetting things and you realize that it is more than normal aging. Your life is changed as you face a tumultuous life journey, a Detour Down Desperation Road. You don't know where to go or what to do. Dr. Ann's stories place you into the emotional and physical pressures on loving people who are desperate to learn how to help. Experience the uncertainty, angst, and triumph as they alter their lives and draw on extraordinary intuition and strength and tackle problems, invent coping skills, and honor loved ones who slide deeper into dementia. Meet Ann's strong, determined, entrepreneurial mother, known as 'the hardware lady, ' as she hoards, obsesses, and persists while dementia slowly claims her brain. Ann's inner guides, emotional Ann and rational Ann, whisper contradictory advice. Her love of her mother steers her to emotional resolutions. When all else fails, she must rely on rational decisions. She finds solace with support group members and others whose trials and solutions change daily as loved ones slip deeper into a condition for which there is no cure. Their gripping stories reveal feelings seldom shared by caregivers. Experience their frustrations and joys as they travel through the physical and emotional realities of the Detour Down Desperation Road. You will learn, laugh, cry, and be amazed by their insights and ingenuity.
