UNCATEGORIZED
Alzheimer’s disease, or as I have heard some call it, “old timers”, is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. AND it is the only cause of death in the top ten in America that cannot be cured, slowed or prevented! Funding has been minimal compared to other diseases in the top ten. However, this year we celebrated a big win with an increase in federal funding for research into prevention, cures, and treatments.
Why do I choose to blog about this?
This disease has affected my family more than once. My grandmother was diagnosed when I was younger and spent many years unresponsive prior to her death. Now my father has been diagnosed with “early onset Alzheimer’s disease”. This is the term used for those diagnosed before the age of 65. My father was 58 at diagnosis, but symptoms were there for 1-2 years at least.
I feel that people don’t really understand that this disease is about much more than memory lapses. It steals so much from the patient and the family. It steals memories, it takes the pleasure out of things that were once hobbies, takes away the ability to perform simple daily tasks, takes away the ability to read and write, and the ability to be independent. It also turns family members into caregivers. My father’s first symptoms were difficulty with multitasking at work and trouble finding words when speaking.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that IS NOT a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and worsens over time. There is no current cure. There are treatments, however, these treatments don’t stop progression, they have been shown to slow progression in some.
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My Dad and his great grandson.[/caption]
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease vary depending on what parts of the brain are most affected, but they include: (http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_know_the_10_signs.asp)
• Memory loss that disrupts daily tasks
• Difficulty with planning or solving problems and making decisions
• Confusion regarding time and place
• Difficulty with familiar tasks
• Difficulty finding the right words when speaking or writing
• Difficulty with spatial relations: visual images or the way things fit together
• Misplacing items and having difficulty with retracing steps to find.
• Impaired judgement
• Changes in mood or personality
• Withdrawing from social or work activities
How is it diagnosed?
My father’s diagnosis took a long time and was misdiagnosed many times. We finally got him to the right group of physicians who ran MANY tests to be sure we got the right diagnosis. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is not definitive, but with a combination of tests it has become much more reliable.
So how did they determine his diagnosis? They performed mental tests (neurocognitive testing), CT scan, PET scan and cerebral spinal fluid tap. The results from all of these tests confirmed the diagnosis.
So what now?
So, now my father attends speech therapy in Boston 2 hours a week to help with his word finding, reading and writing. (He goes to MGH Institute of Health Professions speech therapy clinic which is run by faculty and students, due to the fact that his insurance at the time of diagnosis denied these services.) At some point, he will likely need physical and occupational therapies in order to continue doing daily tasks independently. Right now my father is quite active, as exercise has been shown to slow the decline as well. We have also started eating clean, with research pointing to diet as a way to manage symptoms and decrease chances of developing the disease.
We are also active in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This is a national walk, held at many locations across the country, to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research, care, and support.
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The Walk to End Alzheimer’s : part of TEAM MOON WALKERS[/caption]
I hope you learned something and were able to see another side of this disease that affects so many. And I hope you remember this when you come across someone having difficulties.
I highly recommend reading “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. This is an incredible read and helps to understand how this affects the person with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The movie is good as well, but I always like books better!
Also visit here for more information.
