Category Archives: Stages of Decline

Shortly before Cindy was removed from hospice they asked me whether beating the odds for keeping her alive was really what she would have wanted.  They were questioning whether choosing quality of life measures over palliative care actually gave Cindy … Continue reading →

Stages of Decline Outline:  Final Installment Cindy and I agreed after her diagnosis to make our experiences public, hoping that our efforts to live well in the face of tragic adversity will benefit others.  With that intention I conclude this … Continue reading →

Stages of Decline Outline: Eleventh Installment The totality of Cindy’s physical decline created some health and comfort problems for her care.  Without any emotional or verbal feedback these Tribulations required guesswork that added to the Trials of her emotional decline. … Continue reading →

Stages of Decline Outline:  Tenth Installment All previous stages of decline overlapped gradually with each other, not so with the final stage of emotional decline.  In March of 2019 Cindy had her first ever and still most severe seizure.  From … Continue reading →

Stages of Decline Outline:  Ninth Installment The lesson to be learned here is another life lesson which can be broadly applied.  Perseverance and an active, positive social network are the keys to any kind of success, including caregiving.  In particular, … Continue reading →

Stages of Decline Series Outline:  Eighth Installment Cindy’s steady physical decline correlated with ever changing conditions in other ways as well.  Both Cindy as patient and myself as caregiver experienced added Tribulations tacked on to the Trials of her physical … Continue reading →

Stages of Decline Series Outline:  Seventh Installment Though we associate Alzheimer’s and dementia with cognitive decline, Cindy’s physical decline caused me greater sadness.  Known as an Expedition Woman by her long distance hiking peers, and a woman with the best … Continue reading →

<Stages of Decline series outline: fifth installment.  Please subscribe to be alerted to each post and video in the series, and to help generate search engine publicity.> I am shifting the order within each stage of decline to present “Triumphs” … Continue reading →