Things I Wish I Knew Before My Mom Died () von Ty Alexander

In her early 20’s reality smacked Ty in the face. She was ill equipped to deal with the emotional and intellectual rollercoaster of dealing with her mom’s illness. Through her own trial and error, she found a way to be a caregiver, patient advocate, researcher, and a grieving daughter. She wrote this book to help others find the “best” way to cope and move on, however one decides, personally, what that means.

Introduction/Personal Note:A short 300-900 word intro on me and why I am writing this book.Chapter 1:We’ve been duped, everyone dies!• Why you should shamelessly love hard• The grenade life threw at me; Goodbye Mom• How we react to death is a reflection of how selfish we areChapter 2:The truth about my moderately dysfunctional family• Why broken isn’t a bad thing• Revelations in a hospice room; Unabashedly accepting family secrets• Why I shut my family out and how it’s affected meChapter 3:The Art Of Losing• Grief vs nothing; I will take grief• Don’t let the guilt suffocate you• The emotional battle of documenting deathChapter 4:The how of grieving• Good grief: What are the five stages of grief and how long do they last• When the loss sinks in: Coping with grief and understanding your "new normal"• The XX things no one wants to hear when they are grieving• Where to go for help; A guide of grief resourcesChapter 5:How to be obsessively grateful• How gratitude helps grief• The power of your words and how to develop an attitude of gratitude• How to create routines to grieve healthy and finding strength in unexpected places• The power of your faithChapter 6:Dear Mama• All the things I never told my mom• All the things every mother should tell her daughter