Category: Memoir Publisher: Publish America
ISBN-10: 1606721054
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 133
Copyright: October 1, 2008
Looking for a Silver Lining
They were married 50 years. Lois Wauson and her husband, Eddie, had survived the depression of the ‘30’s, war years of the ‘40’s, golden years of the ‘50’s, turmoil in the ‘60’s, changing time of the ‘70’s, trials and tragedies of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, and now faced one more challenge: Alzheimer’s disease.
By the time the symptoms of Alzheimer’s began, things were not going well in their marriage. They had drifted apart. But during the next eight years, as the disease progressed and Eddie’s condition worsened, they grew closer and their love returned for each other as they leaned on their faith and
Eddie’s sense of humor.
You will laugh and cry with Lois and Eddie as they journey through the darkness of Alzheimer’s, always looking for that silver lining.
Lois Zook married Eddie Wauson in 1950. She was only 18 and he was 25. She was madly in love with him and was amazed he had chosen her over all the girls who wanted to marry him. They had a happy marriage for many years with babies coming, buying a new house in the suburbs.
Lois writes about those "golden years" of the '50s, when life was just about perfect. Then later she writes about the difficult years of the '60s, when the children began to grow into teens, and they had to move away from family to the large Metroplex of Dallas/Ft.Worth.
Then they moved into the '70's when the children began to move away and get married, and Eddie became more distant and caught up in his work and the cares of providing for a family.
Then she writes about the '80s which were even more difficult years, when their oldest daughter had a major stroke and almost died, and the other children coped the best way they knew as the family fell apart.
But then when the '90s came, their lives began to settle into a normal type of life, with grandchildren, and many friends in a wonderful church. But Eddie and Lois were still far apart. Too many tragedies had taken a toll on their marriage.
Then Eddie began to develop Alzheimer's and things began to change. She had to cope with the changes in him. But some of the changes were good, she found. She began to look for a silver lining in the dark cloud and she found it and many more to come. Eddie became the same sweet husband she had married over 50 years ago.
For seven years Lois and Eddie and their children and grandchildren learned how to live with Alzheimer's and still stay close and love each other. The grandchildren loved their grandpa even though his memory was slowly slipping away. They adjusted to the change in him. They knew deep in side he was still their beloved PawPaw.
In the second half of this book, Lois includes journal entries from the journal she has kept for 15 years. It is a day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year description of their life with Alzheimers. Some entries will make you laugh, some cry, some smile, but you will learn that you have to always look for something good in every bad situation. It will keep you focused on the good things and not the bad.
Lois finally has to make the decision for Eddie to go to the Veteran's Home in South Texas when she could no longer care for him. It is a hard decision but one she has to make. She talks about the next year with Eddie living in the Veteran's Home as she lives close by and visits him daily. He is happy in the new place and so is learning to be happy without him.
Read about how Lois takes a positive look at an Alzheimer's world.
Wow! I want to say something but don't know what. I haven't read the book but I'm sure it is filled with ... You see I don't know what to say. Stay strong.
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