Author Archives: Cyndy Noel

Sometimes You Have to Tiptoe Through the Tulips

For everything I faced in life, I always thought I could plan ahead and figure things out so I’d know what to do… until Ron got Alzheimer’s. That was a big wake-up call! I took classes to learn about the … Continue reading

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Courageous Hearts – Value Beyond Caregiving

I was surprised by the comments my 31 year-old niece put on Facebook after reading Courageous Hearts. Though I wrote it for those who were caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or knew someone with the disease, she does not fall … Continue reading

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Caring For Ourselves

One of the things I heard over and over in the classes I took at the Alzheimer’s Association was about the importance of taking care of ourselves, as caregivers. The analogy was made using the example of preparing for take-off … Continue reading

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I Was Pissed

From a recent article in the Gazette (or you may view it on their text-view version if you hit a paywall): “I tell the truth about me,” said Cyndy, 75. “I was pissed. I didn’t know what to do. After … Continue reading

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Early-Stage Caregiving Challenges

The Alzheimer’s Association recently published an article sharing the early-stage caregiving challenges I identified, which I posted here recently as well. See their article on Alz.org here.

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Similarities Between Being a Caregiver and Parenting

It took me a long time to grow into my role as a caregiver for my husband, Ron. Early in our journey, I tried to fit what was happening into the life that was familiar to me and our relationship … Continue reading

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Caregiver Challenges in the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s

I was not familiar with Alzheimer’s. I had never known anyone who had it. But the challenging behaviors and memory issues that were starting to occur with Ron, eventually became impossible to ignore. Despite me being in denial and wanting … Continue reading

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When Sh!t Happens

If you’ve taken classes, or explored the many websites dealing with Alzheimer’s, you are no doubt familiar with the fact that incontinence of both urine and stool are common. Generally, incontinence of urine occurs earlier in the disease than incontinence … Continue reading

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No More Playing by the Rules

In order to live successfully, I had learned to play by the rules. I had always done my best to make sure I was doing it “right.” Then came Alzheimer’s. As much as I tried to apply that to our … Continue reading

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Remembering to Grieve Along the Way

In the early days of Ron’s Alzheimer’s, I had a hard time acknowledging what was happening and I got mad when he couldn’t do the things he had done earlier in our marriage. I described that in my memoir, Courageous … Continue reading

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