Being a caregiver is tumultuous. There are many highs and lows. But being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia takes that to an entirely new level. And when that person is your mother, well there is nothing more rewarding and painful at the same time as being able to care for the woman who cared for you as a child.
But along with that comes trauma. And so much of it. Watching someone you love turn into someone you don't know, and who doesn't know you is heartbreaking.
Lisa Zawrotny's story —and the reason she does what she does now — started when she was a caregiver for her mom who had Alzheimer’s.
She moved her mom into her home when she was pregnant with her son and then had also had her daughter all while still caring for her mother.
What Lisa went through to keep her mom children safe (including her children safe from her) was something she didn’t label as trauma for years, but realizes now that's exactly what it was.
It impacted her physical and mental health and changed how she viewed the world. Those life lessons make Lisa the coach she is today.