'til Death or Dementia Do Us Part

'Til Death or Dementia Do Us Part is a memoir about her husband Mike's descent into Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Readers gain insight through understanding her struggles to meet the financial, physical, and emotional challenges that occurred. This memoir offers helpful resources and hope to both patients and loved ones coping with dementia.

"'Til Death or Dementia is a love story above all else, a wonderful account of the relationship that Marilyn Reynolds celebrated with her husband, Mike. It is beautiful to read and an example of what I hope for all my patients' families—a deep reflection on memories representing all that was wonderful before the diagnosis of dementia. These memories can bring joy amid the struggle with the realities of the disease. In a most courageous way, Marilyn shares her feelings, doubts, fears and regrets as she recalls Mike's personality and cognitive changes, both before and after his dementia diagnosis. Her words convey the emotional roller coaster in a way that the reader can feel every turn, loop, climb and free fall. Her remarkable ability to share serves as a road map for all those who care for someone with dementia, as I have witnessed among hundreds of families. I would hope that everyone would read this story, not just those who find themselves caring for someone with dementia. This beautiful book reminds us that life is finite and worth living to the fullest. It brought a renewed mindfulness for me that every moment counts, and despite all life's challenges, love reigns supreme and can carry us through the darkest of times. Our legacy lives on in those we leave behind. Read this book, then think about the life soundtrack you want, and start singing!" -Christopher Lillis, MD FACP, Medical Director for Primary Care Transformation UC Davis Health, Sacramento, California.

Marilyn Reynolds is the author of 10 books of realistic teen fiction in the "True-to-Life Series from Hamilton High," a book for educators, I Won't Read and You Can't Make Me: Reaching Reluctant Teen Readers, and a collection of personal essays, Over 70 and I Don't Mean MPH. She started work on 'Til Death or Dementia Do Us Part shortly after her husband, Michael Reynolds, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2009. She hopes that others may gain a degree of insight and understanding through this account of her struggles to meet the financial, physical, and emotional challenges that occurred with her bright, talented, and loving husband's passage through FTD.