The author is in the sandwich years, taking care of her children and her parents.
Courtesy of the author
In December 2018, my mom sent a group text to hop on a call. She was holding the results of my dad's test. He has asked my mom to deliver the news.My dad, who spent his entire life showing up for other people, couldn't bring himself to deliver the news to his kids. His cognitive test came to 17 out of 30. By November 2019, the results were official. I was living in Brooklyn, eight months pregnant with my first baby, standing in my kitchen with my husband making dinner, when we got the call. My dad had Alzheimer's. He was 66 when he was diagnosedMy dad was a quiet man. Deeply humble. A highly respected otolaryngologist who built a free clinic for people without health insurance, traveled to Guatemala to build an orphanage and provide medical care for remote villages, and volunteered at the local homeless shelter. He did it all without fanfare.
The author's dad was an otolaryngologist.
Courtesy of the author
