Welcome to All Home Care Matters, the show where we discuss all things home care with discussions

on important age-related matters and topics. Brought to you by Enriched Life Home Care Services,

the number one rated home care provider in Michigan by Top Rated Local.

Hello and welcome back to all home care matters. If this is your first time joining us here at the show, we want to say thank you for taking time out to be with us today. We appreciate how valuable everyone's time is. And that's why we try and make each episode here at all home care matters, something

that will hopefully matter to you. Today, we're honored to welcome Merna Murawski, author of

To the Last Dance. Merna is a family caregiver and a caregiving advocate. Welcome,

Myrna. How are you today? I'm doing well. Thank you. Wonderful. Well, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Let's start off, Myrna, with a little bit about your background.

Sure. Well, I started out as an elementary ed teacher way back when, and I had to quit when I got pregnant. So I became

unbelievably an entrepreneur in a lot of different businesses because I was very bored a lot.

And I didn't really enjoy being home and not having something to do. So as a result of that,

I entered the business world. And today I work as a consultant for the women presidents organization

facilitating groups of women business owners. I've been doing that for almost 20 years. Larry and I met in high school,

which is sort of unbelievable right now when I look at my grandsons. And we were married for 51 years.

He was a real estate attorney, very simple guy, very modest practice, but very much loving what he did. And people really liked

the services that he offered. We had a really good life. And then, and we have three

grandsons, two daughters, and they're the love of our life. And we're the love of Larry's life.

But after, just before he was turning 70, he was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's.

And at that point, we were totally not prepared. Our dreams of growing old together had radically changed suddenly. And so we had a very

different life that we were set out for as a result of his diagnosis.

When he was diagnosed, was it a surprise to you? How did you react and how did Larry react?

You know, that's a really good question because I don't think anybody's really surprised.

You sort of ignore it, try to cover up. I call it the cover up. So you make excuses.

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