Welcome!
Dear Friends – old and new,
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read this post. I am not an expert, a physician, neurologist, or scientist. I am a person living with slow, subtle cognitive changes which are “more than normal aging” – typically called Mild Cognitive Impairment.
My intention in writing Until My Memory Fails Me and for setting up this website is to provide a platform for information and support from the perspective of people like me, who are living with cognitive decline. When first diagnosed, I found it difficult to find a book or online information about meeting this new challenge in a positive way. However, I have been fortunate enough to have a background in healthcare and in meditation which has given me a strong foundation to find ways to cope, and even to thrive, while living with cognitive decline.
My aspirations for this website is to share these tools, along with any new information and resources I may discover and to connect with others who are also living with these changes and with those who are supporting someone who is.
Poetry has been a creative form for me to work with my emotions since I was a teenager. I don’t consider myself a “professional poet” but you may find one that resonates with your own experience. I will occasionally post a poem, such as the Love Poem I wrote for my husband, Frank, after one of our many five hour long trips so I could participate in a clinical study.
Periodically, I will offer musings about my journey with cognitive decline, as this path has many twists and turns. Topics such as dealing with stigma, how and when to share a diagnosis, developing resilience, meditation and humor as tools to maintain an open perspective, and managing shifting communication styles are a few topics I plan to write about.
My energy and concentration level can be different each day, so I may not post on a regular schedule, but I do hope to write monthly.
If you have any feedback, comments, questions, or just simply want to be in touch, please feel free to send me a message through the Contact page. I would love to hear from you.
Sending you warm blessings for a peaceful and joyful day.
Sharon Lukert