Lewy Body Dementia took my beloved husband Pete on March 4, 2015. Upon his diagnosis, I became Pete's caregiver, and together we made the last months of his life a journey of love. LBD is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease and the challenges are many, but our love was strong - and it was the love that made all the difference.
Additionally, I had the many lessons of long distance swimming to buoy me through this journey. In ocean swimming you face choppy waves, relentless swells, and uncomfortably cold water. These were the physical challenges I faced as a swimmer - and also the perfect metaphors for the challenges of caregiving.
In the end, this is both a love story dedicated to my husband Pete, and a love letter to my fellow caregivers. I hope that this book gives you some solace and insight through your own missions of love.
About the Author: Betsy Jordan lives with her dog Bella in a 100-year-old house in Coronado, CA.
With degrees from Wellesley (B.A. Art History), Harvard (M.A. Art History), and University of California, San Diego (Ph.D. English Literature), she was a full-time Humanities professor at UCSD for 15 years.
Betsy Jordan is a record-breaking, award-winning, master-level swimmer, and she exemplifies the values of Masters Swimming: fairness, fun, and fellowship. In her 40+ years of masters swimming competition, Betsy has set over 40 world records and many national and local records, including All-Star and All-American awards. In 2005 she was inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame. You will still find Betsy at the morning swim workouts at UCSD and at the La Jolla Cove on many Saturday mornings.
Pete and Betsy have eleven grandchildren, all of them athletically inclined, some following Betsy into masters swimming competitions. And just so you know, Betsy met Pete at the swimming pool, and one of their favorite swims was when they swam the Maui Channel (10 miles) together in 2004.
Betsy is also the author of Dante and Me: A Journey
