By Tio Stib
Six years ago, I lost my sight, then discovered my wife was losing her mind to dementia. Our life took a sharp detour as I became her sole caregiver. Struggling to adapt, I kept hearing the same questions bouncing around my brain . . .
- “How did this happen to us?”
- “How are we going to get through this?”
- “This sucks! How do other people deal with this stuff?”
I decided that trying to answer the first question was a waste of time, the answer to the second was step-by-step, and the third, yes, millions of other folks are dealing with the same challenges, and I can learn from them.
I started writing “My Dementia Diary” blog in hopes of connecting with other folks struggling with similar challenges. Writing has also been a way to release the demons racing through my head in my daily dealings with dementia.
I’ve discovered many other caregivers, loving people with courage and compassion, on parallel paths. They inspire me with their commitment and teach me ways to deal with life situations I’d never anticipated.
Perhaps my blog will comfort others traveling their own caregiving paths.
You can visit my blog, poetry, prose, and books at travelswithtio.com.
Some sample blog posts:
- My Dementia Diary 10 – Where’s the Spatula?
- My Dementia Diary 69 – 6501
- My Dementia Diary 73 – Sex, Fishing, and Other Goodbyes
I’m grateful to be part of AlzAuthors and look forward to “meeting” you!
Important Update
As of March 4, 2020, My Dementia Diary is now available as a Kindle eBook! This ebook is Tio’s recounting of the seven year journey that followed, a story sometimes humorous, often poignant, and always intimate, the story of how a blind man became the sole caregiver for his wife with her deteriorating dementia.
This is a story about adapting to adversity, about the devastating impact of dementia, about marriage, commitment, and faith. Above all, “My Dementia Diary” is a story about the power of love.
About the Author
Tio Stib loves exploring the frontiers of life. He has sailed wild oceans, climbed lofty mountains, and survived the tempests of tyrannical three-year-olds. He has played architect, the banjo, and mildly successful entrepreneur. Since losing his sight late in life, Tio has turned to writing in hopes of provoking a chuckle and, perhaps, inspiring others to build their own better worlds.
You can follow Tio Stib on his blog, “Travels with Tio, a blind man’s path to happiness” at travelswithtio.com.
Or, buy Tio’s book:
