About Me

Welcome to my Store. 

Hi, my name is Lisa Berlanga, and I'm the author of the book "Dementia In The Raw: My Personal Caregiver Guide to Dealing with My Mom’s Dementia." If you don't have your copy yet, you can purchase it here. 

This book and site are a road map of my experiences and perspectives as a caregiver for my mother, who suffered a stroke from an unhealthy lifestyle. Shortly after, dementia set in, and without a warning or any information or preparation, my mom, my children, my family, my relationships, and my entire life did a 180 turn,  overnight, and continued to change year after year.  

The purpose of this book and site is to share my story and provide hope and help by being truthful and blunt, without sugarcoating or vagueness.  Also, I didn't want to just list products without explanation or assume you have to go on a treasure hunt to find them. I thought that if I provided one place where everything I used could be found, it would make it easier to try what I have shared.

The hurt and pain from caregiving are incredibly difficult to explain, until you connect with someone else in your shoes, then somehow there is a touch of relief because someone else truly understands... As a caregiver, more often than not, one person takes the brunt of the responsibility. After connecting with other caregivers, I realized we had one very serious commonality. We were all broken or breaking.

Dementia and caregiving didn't break me once; it broke me too many times to even count! Until one day I realized I wasn't breaking anymore, or rather, as often.  It still happens. I am human, and this disease isn't designed to improve with time.  But I did notice that after every break I had so far,  something beautiful happened not long after: a new perspective came that brought me peace.  A level of resilience I didn't know I had in me. And eventually, the triumph of problem-solving became so repetitive that, as new struggles arose, I just rose to the occasion without a break almost every time. It was a miracle, to say the least. So, I added up everything I had done so far, and honestly couldn't believe all the work, time, love, patience, research, organization, and self-reflection I had put in just to get through. Now I'm not saying my way is the only way or even the best way. I just know that now, the quality of life is the best it's ever been, not just for my mom but for myself. Then I wondered how many others were in the same boat as me when I was struggling for air. How many others are going through this trauma from the trials and tribulations of caregiving?  Turns out... over 65 million in the US alone, and counting. Did anyone else have an experience like mine?

I hope I start a fire! I hope I can create a loud and undeniable conversation that wakes everyone up. I want bring to the table awareness on the heaviness of the responsibility, the mental and physical health toll it takes, and about the isolation any caregiver is sure to experience. And I want the caregivers out there right now to know, I understand, and my heart goes out to you.

So, now I'm on a new mission. I wanna help. I want to help and heal other people who have been, and continue to be, in my position or any version of it. I want to improve the quality of care we provide and help my fellow caregiver families. 

I know what it's like to suffer in silence, I know what it's like to mourn the living, not just the loved one that you take care of, but to mourn your own life as you knew it, or expected it to be. I truly hope this site and my book can make a difference out there. I'm standing now because of what I've put together here on this site, and from the issues I speak about in my book. And I'm thankful for every product and every experience. 

Peace, Love, and Strength to You All, 

-Lisa

aka: Self-proclaimed Wonder Woman, The Caregiver Edition :-)