Nell Dale


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Topics of conversation:

  • Husband's diagnosis of Alzheimer's
  • His and her reaction to the onset
  • Nell's experiences and musings
  • Grieving process after death of husband

Dr. Nell B. Dale was one of the first women to get a Ph.D. in Computer Science in the early 1970s. She graduated from the University of Texas Department of Computer Sciences and remained on the faculty until her retirement from full-time teaching in 2000. She was originator and director of the Women in Science Program in the early '80s and has been a mentor to students and colleagues throughout her career. Dr. Dale neither read nor wrote poetry until she embarked with her husband on his journey with Alzheimer's. Expressing her feelings in poetry helped her keep sane among the chaos of the journey. These poems are being published in the hope that they will be a comfort for others who have a loved one with Alzheimer's.

French Fries, Ice Cream, & Cucumber Sandwiches: A Poetic Memoir of a Journey with Alzheimer's

Nell Dale
CreateSpace (2010)
ISBN 9781452880396
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (1/11)

Read interview with author on ReaderViews.com

Read the review on ReaderViews.com

Synopsis: Alzheimer’s disease affects all of us. The facts are startling: One in eight people aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. Every 70 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s. By mid-century someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds.

There is no known cure.*

When my husband, Al, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the doctor said that for each Alzheimer’s patient there was a second patient: the caregiver. I struggled with the role of caregiver for almost three years. Expressing my feelings in poetry was my therapy; it kept me sane. I am sharing these poems in the hope that they might be of help to others who have loved ones with Alzheimer’s.

Fifty percent of the profits from the sale of this book will go toward Alzheimer’s research.

*Alzheimer’s Association, 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer’s & Dementia, Volume six