GutPunched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 66 ½

Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers

GutPunched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers EP 66 ½

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Published on Aug 4, 2025, 10:00:00 AM
Total time: 00:12:36

Episode Description

In this heartfelt and candid episode of GutPunched: Alzheimer’s and Caregivers, host Jeff Edwards opens up about the unexpected challenges that life threw his way. Originally planned as a thoughtful interview with a Very Special Caregiver, the episode takes a different turn when Jeff shares a deeply personal and emotional update on his wife’s health.

Jeff’s wife experienced a severe side effect from an amyloid-clearing drug, resulting in brain swelling and a brain bleed, leading to hospitalization. For a brief period, she lost the use of her left arm, leg, and vision in both eyes. Jeff reflects on the intense fear and uncertainty of the situation, offering thanks to the dedicated doctors, nurses, and the powerful network of prayer warriors who supported them through this crisis. The episode's tone is warm, serious, and raw, as Jeff expresses his gratitude for the care his wife received, and assures listeners that a more in-depth discussion will come in a later episode.

Despite the setback, GutPunched carries on, delivering valuable resources for caregivers facing their own struggles. In a condensed format, Jeff shares insightful articles highlighting advancements in Alzheimer’s research, offering hope for those living with and caring for loved ones affected by the disease.

In true GutPunched style, Jeff revisits the podcast’s essential tenets for caregivers, emphasizing self-care, the importance of asking for help, and utilizing a network of support. He also introduces the idea of a “Help Signal,” a simple yet effective way for caregivers and their loved ones to communicate and ensure that help is received with ease and comfort.

This episode may be shorter than usual, but it’s filled with the same compassion, understanding, and practical advice that make GutPunched a vital resource for caregivers.

Remember, you’re not alone—whether it’s the hard days or the good days, you’ve got a community here to lean on.

Stay tuned for the upcoming full interview in the next episode!

More about Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers

Navigating the insidious illness of Alzheimer’s is something nobody asks for. The disease sneaks up on you and your loved one, and it feels like you’ve been sucker-punched in the gut when you get the diagnosis from a doctor. So many things race through your mind: why us? What do we do? We worked so hard to get to this point in life. We just moved here after we both worked for 30 years, sold our house up North, and retired to Florida to enjoy our “golden years”. It’s not fair! Who’s going to take care of her/him? I don’t know a thing about this illness. She’s always done the cooking; I don’t even know how to boil water. He's always taken care of me and everything else like Finances. I don’t even drive! And it goes on and on. Facing this disease will bring you to your knees. Once you get over the initial shock (GUT PUNCHED), the questions and fears take hold. Where do we turn for help? Who do I call? What do I do? How do you take care of someone with Alzheimer's? Are there support groups? And questions like these just keep coming. I am a caregiver. I wasn’t before. Well, not this kind of caregiver. My wife was officially diagnosed in January of 2018. I had a sneaking suspicion that she might have something like this about 2 years earlier. So, when I brought it to my Neurologist, he sent us to a very nice Psychologist who specializes in testing patients to determine more accurately what is going on. It was a question-and-answer session, followed by a very detailed testing procedure that usually takes 3 or more hours. The patient has to complete the test comprising of questions, simple actions, and memory tests, then give them a couple of numbers or words then move on, going back to the numbers or words a short time later. 

So moving forward, I asked all the same questions as mentioned earlier. What are my options? So I “sucked it up”-Manned up so to speak. It's part of the deal for better or worse, right? So began my quest for information on support groups, doctors, anything I could get my hands on. It's been 6 years, and I am still looking for everything and anything that will help me crawl through this unchartered path to enlightenment. I was very fortunate to live in a city that has numerous resources to tap into. Most importantly, it's a place named after someone who suffered from Alzheimer’s. His wife provided the money to start the Alvin Dubin Center: The Dubin Center for short. Their mission is to achieve caregiver health, strength, and resilience by providing education, information, hope, and compassion. And boy do they. I leaned on them for everything I could find. Took all kinds of classes to learn what I needed to do to be the caregiver I have to be. Their caregiver class took about 6 weeks. The material we learned from, and the instructors, were top-notch. I still go back to the notes I took, and the books we used: both as refreshers and inspiration. Hopefully, no matter where you are listening to this, there will be a place like the Dubin Center. If not, don’t despair. The info is out there. That’s what this podcast is about. We’d like to share our resources, our experiences, our heartbreak, and our little victories. From time to time, we’d like to bring in Physicians, Nurses, Experts, and people like you and me, who are going through this disease with our loved ones who are willing to share their journey. The first thing that really stuck with me, and hopefully it will be with you. If you are a caregiver, you must first take care of yourself. Because this is not a sprint, but a marathon. And if you are run down, get sick, or worse.... Who’s going to take care of your spouse, mother, father, or child? Think about that for a few seconds. It’s you, the Caregiver. It’s me the Caregiver. That’s why we’re here. Gut Punched: Alzheimer’s & Caregivers! Thanks for joining us...now let's get going.