Jill lost her husband, John, in early 2018, after being married for 30 years. In 2007, she saw that John was acting weird and not like himself and he was misdiagnosed as bipolar, but his erratic behavior was far more extreme than the standard bipolar symptoms. On top of that, none of the medication was working. It was not until 10 years later, did Jill realize the true nature of his illness, it was Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) combined with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Jill shares her grief journey and how she’s been able to live life without John by her side. 

 

Key Takeaways:

• One of the ways Susan was able to cope with tragedy was by becoming connected to a community that understood her pain.
• Jill shares the story of how she met and fell in love with her husband, John.  
• After a death in his family, John decided to go back to school to become a respiratory therapist. 
• John started showing signs of dementia but it was misdiagnosed as a bipolar disorder at first. Nothing was working. 
• Jill has to do her own research to figure out it was FTD and ALS. 
• FTD can last anywhere from eight to 20 years. 
• Jill relied on God’s guidance to help her through this. 
• It was a blessing that Jill’s children were supportive of her on how she was going to care for her husband. 
• People often say that you’re lucky to spend the last moments of your life with him, but they don’t realize that you watch your loved one become tortured by the disease. 
• There are so many points of grief leading up to death. 
• Relying on your instincts is key in helping you through grief. 
• When is the right time to take your wedding ring off? 
• You’re still here. Jill still had things to do and she chose to live. 
• What has been the most difficult in Jill’s grief journey? John was her biggest fan. 
• Jill had to re-define her purpose after her husband passed away. 
• Where is Jill now in her grief and how does she feel about the future? 
• What advice does Jill have for those who have experienced loss? Take care of yourself. 

 

Get Connected:

Tendrilsofgrief.com

Alz.org

Alsa.org

https://www.theaftd.org/