It was absolutely amazing. As my mom (her great-grandmother) said perfectly, it makes you want to laugh and cry all at the same time. Our granddaughter took her first steps on her own. What's more amazing is that we were on FaceTime with my daughter as it happened. Not the greatest picture below from the FaceTime video, but amazing nonetheless. The other image is from just about two weeks earlier, when she would walk everywhere, but only holding someone's finger. It was as if she had just decided she wasn't scared anymore.

"Other caregivers will see they can do it. It’s hard. I did not say, ‘Oh, I sailed through this. I had all the answers.’ No, you have hardly any answers. And so you take it day by day and you’re an advocate for your loved one."

SANDY MOSS MODER

What happens when love meets life-altering diagnosis and financial pressure?

For Sandy Moss Moder, it meant stepping into the unknown and documenting every step of the way.

In this episode of The Simply Retirement Podcast, I talk with Sandy about her raw and revealing story as a caregiver for her husband battling frontotemporal degeneration. She opens up about the emotional, medical, and financial hurdles she faced—and how her journaling eventually became a published memoir.

This conversation shines a light on caregiving, planning ahead, and the power of art and community.

On this week's episode Sandy and I discuss:

• The early behavioral changes that led to her husband's FTD diagnosis and the lack of awareness among medical professionals
• The emotional toll and day-to-day unpredictability of caregiving for a spouse with cognitive decline
• The financial planning steps she took—including setting up a trust, adjusting Social Security, and building a support team
• Her process of documenting the disease through journaling, which turned into her memoir
• The importance of finding the right care facility, asking the right questions, and leaning on senior living advisors
• And more!

Did you miss it? You can catch every episode of The Simply Retirement Podcast on the website - or on your favorite podcast app. LISTEN ON THE WEBSITE ​​​

• ​Episode 58 Transcript​
• ​#21: Navigating Senior Living Decisions with Joyce Logan​
• Book: If I Have One More Brain Thing…​
• Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD): theaftd.org​
• Essay: Heal the Heart, Sort Out the Truths, and Find a Way​
• Personal Website: sandymossmoder.com​
• Email: author@sandymossmoder.com
• ​Subscribe to the Simply Retirement Newsletter​
• ​Submit a Question for Eric​
• ​Join the Facebook Group​

Have more questions about retirement planning? Just hit reply to this email. I read and respond to every message. 😃

Keeping Retirement Simple,

Eric Blake, CFP®

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