Welcome to Rollercoaster Road
A newsletter about the highs and lows of writing my first book while navigating my mother's dementia journey.
My mother, Janet, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2019 at age 61. The experience of slowly losing her over the past five years has been so full of twists that I’ve dubbed it Rollercoaster Road. I never know what awaits us around the next turn, but I know it’ll continue to be a wild ride.
In November 2024, I left my longtime job as a marketing copywriter to finally write the memoir that has been tugging at my soul. I’ve struggled to find a book that captures the unvarnished truth of early onset Alzheimer’s, and I realized I’m the one who needs to write it.
It’s a memoir about my mother’s life, of course, and mine as well. It’s about autonomy won and lost; self-determination, resilience, and the power of the mother-daughter bond; and all the joys and sorrows that are sewn together to tell the stories of our lives—and make them worth remembering.
I have no illusions that writing this book will be quick or easy. I’m sure it’ll be as full of ups and downs as my mother’s Alzheimer’s journey. I’m sharing all about the writing process because my biggest wins come from declaring I’m going to do something that feels scary and impossible, then using the adrenaline from making my goal public to power through and do it.
And I could really use your support and belief in me. A number of you have been following along with my story for more than a decade. I hope you’ll come along as I write the next chapters.
About me
I’ve blogged since 2010 about the things most important to me, including running, travel, and dementia. I’m a nine-time marathoner and have raised thousands of dollars for the Alzheimer’s Association and HFC in honor of my mother.
I live in North Bend, Washington, with my husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs. You can connect with me on Instagram @dev.on.running and read more about all things running and Alzheimer’s at devonrunning.com.
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