My wife was actively employed in a long term care facility for over 20 years. She loved her job and the interactions she had with the residents. I had a high stress job in finance. I was always jealous of her in that when she came home she could always see the value of her day. Knowing that in a small way she helped people enjoy their life, whether she gave them a hug, or made them smile just by listening to their stories. In 2006 we encountered some family stresses with her brother being diagnosed with cancer, and my mother having her leg amputated and having to resume life in long term care.

Shortly after that my wife advised me she was off work for a while and that she had been given a compassionate leave. Eventually after several discussion she returned to work complete with a doctors note. Only for 2 days however! This time she was asked not to return until she had seen a neurologist and had had an MRI of her brain. Ultimately we got the diagnosis that she had Alzheimer's disease. A real shock given that she was only 52 years of age.

Our lives and our life plans changed considerably that day!