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Seeking Clarity in the Labyrinth: A Daughter’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s
Losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s is a journey without a roadmap. It can be mercifully brief or agonizingly prolonged, with each family’s path uniquely different yet heartbreakingly similar. In her deeply personal and cathartic book, Jessica Stokes delves into her family’s experience with this disease, often termed “the longest goodbye,” as she witnessed her mother’s cognitive decline. The narrative highlights how Alzheimer’s impacts not only the diagnosed individual but also the entire family, necessitating extensive care and adjustments. This story will resonate with many.
Seeking Clarity in the Labyrinth: A Daughter’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s is a poignant memoir by Jessica Stokes that serves as both a personal account and a therapeutic exploration. Beyond detailing her family’s 13-year journey with her mother’s Alzheimer’s, the book delves into themes of grief, balance, acceptance, change, and, above all, love. Stokes recounts the gradual loss of her mother, sharing how she learned to embrace the evolving versions of her. While not always consistent in this endeavor, she navigated the situation with resilience, steering through unwanted yet unavoidable challenges.
The narrative, though mostly linear, mirrors the workings of memory, where a small detail can spark an entirely new recollection. The book also carries a spiritual undertone, exploring concepts of life, death, and the possibility of an afterlife. The mindful and intentional journey of the labyrinth—both as a concept and through specific examples worldwide—was a constant presence for Stokes and her family, eventually becoming a metaphor for their experience. The labyrinth in her parents’ backyard, lovingly constructed by family members, symbolizes a sanctuary, providing peace within a convoluted path. Stokes revisits this imagery throughout her book, using it to illustrate the emotions accompanying the disease’s progression.
This book will be painfully familiar to those who have lost or are in the process of losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s. It offers comfort in a shared experience. Despite its deeply personal nature, Stokes’ story resonates universally. Even readers without direct experience with Alzheimer’s may relate to the gradual loss of a parent. Stokes writes with clarity and frankness, delivering a story that is heartfelt and heartbreaking.
Pages: 136 | ISBN : 978-1955683418
Medicine Continues to Evolove
In Nurse Florence®, What is Type 1 Diabetes?, you provide young readers with an introduction to Type 1 Diabetes, its causes, symptoms, and the challenges of managing the disease. What made you choose this topic for a book for children?
People usually get diagnosed with this type of diabetes when they are children. I wanted to provide an additional resource for families affected with this disease.
Nurse Florence has helped you introduce many children to complex medical conditions. What is your process for making the most difficult concepts easier to understand?
I bring the formation down to a very small unit of information and then slowly build up from there. I have faith my readers will be able to understand.
What is one misconception you think many people have about living with diabetes?
A misconception might be the way they treat the disease for the last several years may be how they will have to always deal with it. Medicine continues to advance and now people can have insulin pumps connected to a smartphone to constantly monitor blood sugar levels and automatically provide the correct amount of insulin.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from this installment of the Nurse Florence series?
Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Book Review
Nurse Florence®, What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Nurse Florence: What is Type 1 Diabetes? by Michael Dow provides an informative and accessible introduction to the complex topic of Type 1 Diabetes, tailored for young readers. The story follows a group of students, Jean, Condi, and Sonia, as they meet with Nurse Florence, who educates them about the disease in a clear, engaging way. Through simple language and easy-to-understand illustrations, Nurse Florence explains what Type 1 Diabetes is, its symptoms, causes, treatments, and the challenges that come with managing the disease.
What I found particularly effective about this book is its ability to break down complex medical concepts into terms that kids can grasp. When Nurse Florence explains how insulin works in the body, she uses diagrams and comparisons that make the information easy to visualize. This type of clarity is essential, especially for younger readers or those who might be learning about this disease for the first time. The straightforward approach helps demystify a topic that can seem overwhelming. Some sections repeated key points, particularly when discussing the symptoms and complications of diabetes, which helps reinforce important information. This thorough approach can be especially valuable for readers who benefit from extra clarity and detail, ensuring they fully grasp the concepts. One aspect I truly appreciated was how the book offered practical advice for living with Type 1 Diabetes. Beyond just presenting facts, it gave suggestions that readers—whether children with diabetes or those learning about it—could apply in real life. For instance, Nurse Florence’s discussion on healthy eating habits, checking blood sugar, and the importance of exercise gives readers tangible takeaways. The inclusion of tools like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors is also a great touch, showing how modern technology plays a role in disease management.
Nurse Florence: What is Type 1 Diabetes? is a well-crafted educational tool for children and their families. Its simple explanations, combined with its focus on real-life application, make it an ideal resource for young readers curious about Type 1 Diabetes or those who need to understand the condition better. This book is perfect for kids who have a family member with diabetes, educators looking to introduce health topics in the classroom, or anyone seeking a basic understanding of this condition in a format that’s easy to digest.
Pages: 232 | ISBN : 978-1304939999
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