Please Stop

by Claude Bachand

This is a memoir about two people growing up during and after the Great Depression, their deep and enduring love, and how they coped with Parkinson's disease. The way that Dotty and Claude Bachand went about day-to-day living, as Dotty's Parkinson's symptoms steadily worsened, is the subject of about half of the memoir. In depth, you'll learn how they dealt with problems like mobility, balance, eating, dressing, tremors, disorientation, and difficulty with talking and swallowing. They adapted. For instance, they'd sit in the back row of the movies so in the event Dotty suffered from shaking, they wouldn't disturb the other patrons; they'd ask a waitress to bring Dotty's iced tea with a lid and a straw in case she knocked it over; and Claude always carried four men's handkerchiefs because of Dotty's drooling. You'll be there during an hour-long session with a noted Parkinson's specialist; be in emergency rooms, where Dotty is treated after two serious falls; and see how the couple dealt with her violent shaking (dyskinesia), which was especially troublesome at bedtime. The memoir first takes you back to the time when the two grew up in Southbridge, a small mill town in central Massachusetts, in families where money was scarce because of the bad economic times and because their fathers spent every night in a barroom, downing highballs with a beer chaser. In contrast with Dotty, who was quiet and well-disciplined, Claude had a relatively free rein, was a bit of a scamp, and had behavioral problems at home and in school. He frequently felt the sting of his mother's switch and his teachers' yardsticks. Yet, with the help of the G.I. Bill, he did surprisingly well in college. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism, summa cum laude, from Louisiana Tech University, where he was editor of the school newspaper for three years. Then with an assistantship, he earned a master's degree at the University of Illinois Graduate School of Journalism and Communications. He worked as a reporter for a daily newspaper, then for United Press International, and spent most of his career in public relations and marketing. After college, he met Dotty and the two were married and raised three children. They had a loving and happy, 45-year marriage, despite the Parkinson's. In 1998, Claude retired and the couple move to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. A year later, Dotty was diagnosed with Parkinson's.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2012

Reviews

[Shadira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book, Please Stop, last night. Bachand has done a beautiful job of telling his story. And, his story is a great story, sad, touching, affecting, but also candid, funny, entertaining, and informative. I commend Bachand for his openness and honesty, as well as his terrific writing skills. I did not cry with him at the end, but I came so near as to make no difference.

I hope this book gets a wide readership because it deserves that. I doubt Bachand wrote this book to be a best-seller, probably more as a legacy for his children and grandchildren and friends. But, this book is more than just Bachand's story. The parts that precede Dotty's illness are a story of American life that I think everyone would benefit from reading. I would love to see him write another book expanding on his childhood memories.

[Randy Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read with emotional ending

I am an 83 year old man who loves reading, been married 60 years. Finished up with tears in my eyes when finishing this book. Know exactly how the author felt at his wife’s passing.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that shows the family, friends, and loved one's side of this disease.

[Stephanie Boswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt memoir which coincidentally I finished on September 13, the day Claude lost Dotty.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given To Me For An Honest Review

This book was one I could not put down until I finished reading it. It is the most beautiful love story between two people that takes you through their life before the Great Depression, through it and through the wife's illness of Parkinsons. It is told so well it is as if you are there with them. I just wish I could give this book more than 5 stars because it is worth more than that. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is a book that you will not regret reading and one that you will suggest to others to read.

[Vanda Bromwich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true story of a man who's wife was suffering from Parkinson's. This is a very upbeat and down to earth retelling of both their lives and how they coped with this debilitating and incurable illness.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I don't know if I could handle this illness in such a dignified manner as a patient, or such a patient and understanding caregiver. A cause for much reflection . ?