I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING

In this memoir of love, loss, and Lewy body dementia (LBD), Mary Lou Falcone takes readers on a cathartic journey of caregiving that is filled with hope, laughter, and tears. At the age of ten, Mary Lou's life was forever changed when her father had a severe stroke that took away his ability to speak. While her mother worked three jobs, Mary Lou cared for not only her father but two younger siblings. Echoes of her childhood challenge return when she later faces the biggest test of her life: her soulmate of forty-seven years, the celebrated artist Nicky Zann, is diagnosed with the little-known disease Lewy body dementia, which ultimately claims his life. As her beloved husband's sole caregiver throughout this difficult period, Mary Lou discovers invaluable resources for dealing with LBD, all of which she shares with her readers. In addition to Mary Lou's firsthand account of her extraordinary journey, many friends and family, including world-renowned classical musicians, opera divas, directors, and actors, share their perspectives on her resilience in these pages. She emerges from great loss transformed and energized, as will the readers of I Didn't See It Coming.