Vicki Tapia

What was my impetus for writing "Somebody Stole My Iron?" Writing has been the means by which I've processed the twists and turns in my life since I was a teenager. Setting my thoughts to paper provides me with solace in times of stress or sadness. Throughout the years of caregiving for my parents, I was especially drawn to journaling in an attempt to make sense of what was happening...how my parents were changing and how it affected and ultimately changed me. Writing was the one constant in my life that made no demands and asked nothing in return. At the time of my parents' decline, I did not find the support networks that are available today on the web and often felt I was alone in a dark place, with two demented family members pulling on me. During this time, an idea began to take shape in the back of my mind. I wondered if a written description of our family's journey might shed some insightful light for others traveling a similar journey through dementia. Having talked to numerous people struggling with many of the same caregiving issues and lack of information, I felt there was a need for an outstretched hand offering tips or "lessons" learned along the way. Those of us traveling the dementia road share a common bond, and my goal in writing this memoir is to help make other people's journeys less lonely and painful. Please visit me at www.SomebodyStoleMyIron.com