Living with Strokes, Alzheimer's, Diabetes

The book is about a couple which is under extreme pressure to maintain a normal life despite the ravages of the diseases: diabetes, Alzheimer's, and three bouts of strokes, which have befallen the author's wife. The saga about the couple is true and is still ongoing. The story telling in the book will probably stop when either the subject of the stories or the story teller himself is gone.

The book has only two main characters, the author and his wife. The author, acting as caregiver to his wife, tells stories about the events that are affecting his wife. There are plenty of those events which affect her differently compared to other people, because of her impaired mental and physical capacity.

There are eight chapters in the book corresponding to various aspects affecting the author's wife.

Chapters include: Chapter 1 - The Strokes, Chapter 2 - Protecting Amelia, Chapter 3 - Tolerance and Accommodation, Chapter 4 - Different Outlooks for Amelia, Chapter 5 - Incidents Involving Amelia, Chapter 6 - Amelia Goes Cruising, Chapter 7 - Amelia's Travel Destinations, Chapter 8 - Cruise Ship Events and Incidents, followed by an Index

Each chapter has enough scenes to describe specific events that affect the author's wife. For example the followng scenes are described in:

Chapter 2 - Protecting Amelia: Hazards at Home, Measuring Food Intake, Medical Alert, Preventing Near Falls, Glucose Tracker, Surveillance Cameras, Amelia is Home - Not Nursing Home - Bound, Driving Around Comfortably, Medications, and Last Line of Defense

Based upon the events that adversely affect his wife, the author sets up a mission to make her as happy as possible during her remaining life. His mission is to devote utmost effort in helping her recover from her ailments, if possible, and to extend to her affordable conveniences while she is still in a condition to appreciate them.

Her idea of being happy is being able to travel; after all, she is a retiree. She still appreciates the visible aspects of things around her. The author does not waste any time implementing his mission. He does not want to have lingering regrets of missing the opportunity of affirming his love for his wife; after all, her condition is dire, she might degenerate into complete helplessness anytime.

Progressing Alzheimer's and the third stroke are dampening the author's mission; nonetheless, he becomes even more determined to achieve it. He has as many travel plans as his wife is able and willing to take, without exacerbating her frail physical and mental condition.

Each travel time provided plenty of scenes and topics to describe. The book is built up by different places visited and unique events that affected the couple. It is also built by changes in the habits and idiosyncracies of the author's wife.

The designations of the diseases: Strokes, Alzheimer's, Diabetes are contracted by the author to 'S.A.D' to sound like the mood when someone is sorry and unhappy when things are not turning favorably his way. Things are turning very much against the author's way.