Doing the Difficult Thing

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My life is still shaped by my personal experience as a dementia caregiver for my father who died from Alzheimer’s disease on October 13th, 2007. As is indicated in a previous post, I didn’t want to write about my experience, but I couldn’t help but do so in my effort to honor those affected by this always terminal illness. I am glad I did, to which this review attests:

The author, who has closely experienced the cruelty of Alzheimer’s in a loved one, has shown a great deal of courage and consummate determination in writing this tale.

This well-paced and brilliantly written story is at once poignant, agonizing, funny in places and all-consuming. The reader will have difficulty putting it down but had best keep a box of tissues at hand. It made this hardened, former combat solider weep like a school child through much of the second half.

I have emerged from this novel with greater sensitivity to the whole continuum of dementia and its emotional impact on those who must find a way of dealing with its encroachment on their lives. There are not enough superlatives in the English language to give justice to a description of this novel by an obviously compassionate, energetic, and witty author. It is worthy of six stars. – R. Bruce Logan, author of BACK TO VIETNAM:TOURS OF THE HEART 

REQUIEM FOR THE STATUS QUO and all of Mr. Logan’s books can be found on Amazon or wherever you buy your books.

2 thoughts on “Doing the Difficult Thing

    Bruce Logan said:
    April 20, 2026 at 8:02 am

    Nice piece, Irene.

    I have some health news. I am now on dialysis three days a week for four hours a pop. What a life changing and limiting situation. With ferry wait and sailing times, each four hour session at the Royal Jubilee hospital in Victoria becomes a 12 hour day. But in working with my nephrologist, the objective is to get me onto home dialysis in a few months. Then, I should be able to travel again, but will have to carry dialysis supplies with me. To complicate matters, Elaine and I are in the process of moving. We’ve sold our house on Salt Spring Island and purchased a townhouse near Sidney, a seaside suburb of Victoria. That will make hospital visits more palatable.

    Hope all is well with you.

    Bruce

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      Irene Olson responded:
      April 20, 2026 at 8:31 am

      I have reached out to you by email, my friend. 💟

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