Book Release: Losing Everything

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Susan P. Murray, a member of New Jersey Conference’s Rockaway church, started a journal documenting her feelings about her mother’s decline from Alzheimer’s. She turned those entries into Losing Everything, a book gives a gritty glimpse into how the disease changes its victims and how it impacts those that love them.

Read our interview with Murray below:

Visitor: What do you most want people to understand or know after reading this book?

Murray: After reading the book I hope that people will understand how insidious this disease is and it does not matter how much you plan for the changes that are going to occur in your family, all the planning will eventually go awry.  

Visitor: What would you want to say to others who are facing a situation where their loved one has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's?

Murray: Learn as much as you can about the disease. There are several stages of the disease. Do whatever it takes to prepare for what will happen now and in the future. Speak to your family doctor and put a medical plan in place for care. If possible, find out if there are clinical trials that are taking place and if the trials seem appropriate enroll your family member in them. These programs may minimize behavioral problems in the future.