There was a time, in another century, when divorce and cancer were spoken in whispers. I don’t know why each are spoken freely now, but perhaps it has to do with the prevalence of marriages that end in divorce and the medical strides made to cure cancer.
Dementia is still spoken in whispers. There is no cure. And there is NOTHING worse than losing your MIND. It is our very personhood, without it, who and what are we? It’s treated as a moral failure, “What could I possibly have done to deserve this?” Or, “That will never happen to me! I take good care of myself!” Yet more and more older adults are and will be diagnosed with the number one cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease. Everyone has heard of it. Big press these days and still an incredibly uncomfortable conversation when it hits a family near you.
There is a good chance you haven’t heard of Lewy Body Disease.
Why do you need to know? Because Lewy Body Brain Disease is the second leading cause of dementia, hits younger adults as well as older, and two thirds of those who are diagnosed had a previous misdiagnosis.
Robin Williams died because he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and though this was accurate, Lewy Body Dementia was missed. With the best possible care available in this country, the true cause of his illness was missed. You can watch the 44 minute film about his struggle here: https://www.mediflix.com/channels/lewy-body-dementia-association/video/1393
Why am I writing about it? Because my dear husband insists that everyone know about this disease to avoid suffering through misdiagnosis, as he did during the first five years of his troubling cognitive symptoms. Though he had dozens of doctor appointments for different specialties, including neurology, it was missed. He was finally diagnosed in April of 2022, after a long, frustrating journey.
We are in this together. With support groups, therapists, and doctors, as well as loving family and friends who aren’t afraid to talk about the elephant in the living room, Lewy. It’s living with us now. We will not ignore it.
You can read more about the second most prevalent cause of dementia and why it is so difficult to diagnose by exploring this website: https://www.lbda.org/
Cate LaBarre 
Thank you.
You’re welcome. The more who know, the better.
Thank you for this information and for sharing. I never heard of this.
Wishing your husband and you many blessings.
You’re welcome. This is so commonly misdiagnosed, the more who know the better. Thank you for your well-wishes.
Big love for this very vulnerable post. FYI link for Lewy Body Dementia didn’t work. I didn’t try the other one yet. ❤️❤️❤️ L
Thank you, Lorraine. I tried both links from my site and they work. Maybe try again? I appreciate knowing it didn’t work for you. Win is very brave. It was his decision.
Cate: Thank you for sharing. My Mom struggled with Alz Disease and it was a long sad journey with many small, unexpected gifts. I got to know her without expectations before she passed. Sending you much love and prayers. Irene
Thank you, Irene. It is a difficult journey, but I’m all in. I appreciate your love and prayers.
Oh Cate,
Thank you for sharing your truth with us. You and your husband and family are in my heart as you navigate this uncharted journey.
I need to thank you for the journey we took together and how your coaching helped me. You had asked for a testimonial many months ago and I had planned to write something based on the following document, but I will let you pull from it anything you find useful in marketing your powerful heart centered guidance.

We will work together again. Until then,
With lots of love, Leslie
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Thank you, Leslie. It is good to know others are holding us on this journey. Sending you much love.