The holidays can be difficult for families dealing with Alzheimer's, especially if the person with the disease is the one who used to be the heart and soul of Christmas.
Fresh grilled swordfish now tastes like rolled newspapers to Greg O'Brien, an unexpected effect of his Alzheimer's. And shopping without a grocery list is futile. But summer barbecues are still sweet.
As his Alzheimer's progresses, journalist Greg O'Brien and his wife have decided it's time to leave the home where they raised their three kids. The move is turning up some sweet discoveries.
Afraid of saying the wrong thing to someone with a serious illness? Now there are "empathy cards" that make fun of those well-meaning but tasteless remarks.
Mary Catherine O'Brien says when she married her husband, Greg, in 1977, he was funny and outgoing. Alzheimer's disease has stolen much of that, she says, but the two are closer than ever.
Rick Rayburn became a full-time caregiver to Marianne, his wife of 42 years, after she developed dementia. She may not be the woman he married, but he says she's helping him become a better husband.