Intro

J Smiles:0:00
My mama has Alzheimer's. The catch is my mama has Alzheimer's because my daddy died. Now it might sound crazy, but it's true. My father's death was so shocking and so abrupt and dramatic that it pushed my mama into Alzheimer's, like, you know, maybe a decade early, and my mom is my heart. So I was out traipsing the world living between North America, Europe, and Africa, on purpose, intentionally doing business stuff and projects and goodwill missions. There's a reason why I didn't get married and I didn’t have kids. I don't like being tied down. But when my mama was talking crazy, and unaware of where she was and what she was doing, and unable to walk correctly, or clean herself...record scratch. I didn't just put my life on hold. I threw my life away, didn't even matter. My dad was dead and the best I could do was protect my mom. I mean, I didn't know where to start. She hadn't been sick where she needed care. Yeah, she had a few ailments over her lifetime, but nothing that was catastrophic and nothing that caused her to be dependent. Now all of a sudden, I go from literally, footloose, fancy-free to zero freedom. Now, it was by choice. It's the way I wanted to protect and care for my mom. But it was hard. It was confusing. It was very scary because I didn't know what to do and who to turn to. I'm shocked into caring for my parent.com...that doesn't exist. It was really unclear, a lot of trial and error, but I figured out some stuff and I need to share it. It's gluttonous to have information and keep it to yourself. And hopefully, it will help. ParentingUP! Caregiving adventures with comedian J Smiles is the intense journey of unexpectedly being fully responsible for the well-being of my mama. For almost a decade, I've been chipping away at the unknown, advocating for her, and pushing Alzheimer's awareness on anyone and anything with a heartbeat. Here, you will get tips, tricks, trends, and above all else, truth and transparency. Spoiler alert: I started comedy because this stuff is so heavy. Be ready for the jokes.
Some shows I'll have guests like other caregivers, family members, dementia experts, wellness advocates, friends, doctors, therapists, a bunch of people. Snuggle up and Subscribe! Caregivers, newbies, OG’s, village members trying to just prop up a caregiver, you are in the right place. I'm a comedian. Alzheimer's is heavy, but we ain't got to be.