story collider

A year after rehab, Jamie Brickhouse is struggling with a relapse as his mother starts to deteriorate. Normally she’s so put together, but during his parents visit to see him in NYC, it’s clear that she’s not herself anymore.

After police encounters and a trip to the psych ward, they’re struggling to get a diagnosis for her delusions and strange behavior. In the end, they get the diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia — why was this so hard when it’s not rare at all?

As much as his mother is vanishing, she’s still there. Ironically, his role as a long-distance caregiver is what finally gives him the strength to stay sober.

Listen on Story Collider. The second story starts at 14:00 You can read the whole story in his memoir, Dangerous When Wet.

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