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His autopsy revealed that he did not have the gene, APOE4 but rather his Alzheimer’s was triggered by arterial sclerosis, which was caused from a diet rich in meat and ice cream, but devoid of veggies and salads.

My husband was next. When he had knee replacement surgery in May of 2006, his heart stopped and he was oxygen-deprived. Five doctors who have since reviewed his records feel that his Alzheimer’s could have been triggered by the lack of oxygen to his brain. He has been tested, and like his father, does not have the gene APOE4. As of this writing, his diagnosis is of Moderate Severe Alzheimer’s.

Our son Scott, a former publishing executive and author of many books, has been encouraging me to write a “Quality of Life” book as he watches us cope with
this disease. I have read most of the books that are currently in circulation, and although some are helpful in regards to understanding the symptoms and progression of the disease, I have not found any that share hope… And hope is what sustains us.

This book is intended to be a vehicle for you – the caregiver – to explore and try different ways to make life for you and your loved one more rewarding. I do not want to make it sound as if caregiving of an Alzheimer’s patient is easy. It is not. In fact, it is the most difficult thing I have ever encountered in my life. I say this as a two-time survivor of lung cancer… And I never smoked. Alzheimer’s is a challenge, but hopefully this book will help you to organize your thoughts and together we can strive to live a quality of life geared to each person’s expectations and realities. I am grateful to my son Scott for encouraging me to write down what we do on a daily basis; to Bunny Stoykovich, President of Town and Country, for all of her help; to Sara Colson, who has done a wonderful job of editing our manuscript and has shown patience, expertise, professionalism and caring; grateful to our son Brett who searched the world for a cure; and to our many friends who remind us that the glass is half full, help us to make lemonade out of lemons, and make our quality of life a goal 24/7.