mattresses
beyond forgetting poetry and prose about alzheimers disease
alzheimers disease is now estimated to affect one in two persons over the age of eighty and is being diagnosed in people as young as fifty . for the many people now trying to cope with a loved one suffering from this tragic disease this collection will provide solace and valuable insight for family members as well as for those in the medical community who work with anyone afflicted with alzheimers disease . beyond forgetting is a unique collection of poetry and short prose about alzheimers disease written by 100 contemporary writers doctors nurses social workers hospice workers daughters sons wives and husbands whose lives have been touched by the disease . through the transformative power of poetry their words enable the reader to move beyond forgetting beyond the stereotypical portrayal of alzheimers disease to honor and affirm the dignity of those afflicted . with a moving foreword by poet tess gallagher this anthology forms a richly textured literary portrait encompassing the full range of the experience of caring for someone with alzheimers disease . because the writers share their personal stories as well as their poems and prose this collection will be a valuable companion to anyone embarking on this difficult journey . in their honest deeply moving and compassionate portrayals the voices collected here help illumine the darkness of this passage and help us see as one of the contributors put it the unlikely light shining deep within it .