The sorrows Alzheimer patients and families experience are close to my heart. I was seven years old walking through the grocery store with my grandmother when she turned to me with a blank look in her eyes and asked “who I was” and “what we were doing”. Barbara Price died at age 58 from complications of early onset Alzheimer. Members of the family claim her memory encountered lapses as young as her late thirties.
The Alzheimer’s Association web page lists eight myths regarding this devastating disease…
Myth 1. Memory loss is a natural part of aging—if you have ever been in contact with an Alzheimer patient you will understand the difference between an infrequent memory lapse versus the disease that triggers brain cell breakdown and death.
Myth 2. Alzheimer’s disease is not fatal—there are no survivors. This condition produces unpredictable behavior, loss of body functions, loss of identity and communication.
Myth 3. Only older people can get Alzheimer’s—early onset Alzheimer’s can affect persons in their 30s, 40s and 50s. The numbers are 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States, 5.2 million people age 65 and over and 200,000 people under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Myth 4, 5, 6 & 7 involve environmental factors increasing the risk of Alzheimer—cooking/drinking out of aluminum pots/cans, aspartame, flu shots and silver dental fillings. There is no data to support these theories.
Myth 8. Treatment to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is available—there is no cure. Treatment/medications are available to slow down the progress of the disease.
Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear that you have been affected with this disease. I too have a family member who is going through this. ALthough my great grandmother is 92 years old, she has spells just as you said your grandmother had. This past Christmas she told me about how she finally paid off the mortgage on her home. (She paid it off in 1975). Very sad. I enjoyed reading the myths though, I feel as if everyone has a clouded judgment and understanding when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. Thanks for a great read!
Amy Jo:
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if most diseases affect not just the person going through it but the families as well. Your experience must have frightened you very much. I am not extremely familiar with Alzheimer’s but had heard some of the same myths you spoke about. One thing I have heard is that it is hard to detect if a person has it unless extensive tests are performed. I’m not sure if that is accurate or not. I also assume if a person is mentally active, they have a better chance of not getting the disease. What do you think?
Lucille
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the informative blog on Alzheimer's disease. The story you shared about your grandmother asking who you were and what you were doing there, was so touching. I am a granmother and it would break my heart to cause my grandchildren such anxiety. I found your myths informative thank you for the interesting information. I am so very sorry you have experienced such loss.
Rhonda
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I've commented on your blog, but because I can relate to someone very close I was very close to who also suffered with Alzheimer's, I felt the need to share with you. I am so sorry for the loss of your grandmother to this horrible disease. She was so young, only a few years younger than I am right now.
The person I knew who suffered and recently died from complications due to Alzheimer's was a hygiene patient of mine. I had cared for this patient for nearly 12 years. She was in her early 70's when she was diagnosed. I watched her disease progress with each 6 month check-up. Every time I saw her, even though she had long forgotten my name and really didn't remember where she was, why she was there or who I was, her face would light up when she saw me, and she would take my hand, and let me walk her back to my room. Her husband came with her and had to stay in the room with us because she became increasingly panicked if she could not see him close to her. She could not seem to find the words to speak to me, so she would just say "Oh...", smile and nod her head. When it was time to leave the office, she would grab my hand, squeeze it tight and hug me over and over again, all the while, smiling. I don't know if she was thanking me for taking care of her or she thought I was her daughter. I always looked forward to her coming in because I felt a connection somehow. I could look into her eyes and see she was lost and desperately trying to find her way back. I felt helpless, not being able to help her in any way to fight the disease that was so obviously consuming her. I can only imagine what her husband who was becoming more and more feeble just caring for his beloved wife must have been going through. Before her next 6 month appointment, I read in the paper that she had succumbed to her disease. I noticed that shortly therafter, her husband also died.
Alzheimer's runs in my family and I am in constant fear of getting it myself, even though I know that my risk is lower since I don't have history of a close relative like a brother or sister or parent who has or had it. My aunt had early onset AD and I know early onset runs in families. I have also had a head injury and that raises my risk. I think a lot of people my age joke about having symptoms of AD, but I think it's because we are all afraid of getting it.
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteI, too was very close to someone with Alzheimer's. However, she was not a close relative like your grandmother. I am so sorry for your loss. She was so young; not much older than I am right now.
The person I knew was one of my hygiene patients. This patient was diagnosed with late onset AD in her early 70's. I took care of her in my office for nearly 12 years. I noticed that with each 6 month appointment, she was becoming increasingly worse. She went from asking me, "what is your name again?" to not knowing who I was at all, nor where she was or why she was there. But somehow, she felt a connection with me and I with her. Her face would light up when she saw me, and she would grab my hand, squeeze it tightly and allow me to lead her to the back of the office with her husband close behind us. When it was time to leave, she again would grab my hand and then hug me over and over again, smiling all the while, never speaking a word. I don't know if that was just her way of thanking me or if she thought I might be her daughter.
The last time I saw her, she could only smile, nod her head, and say, "oh". It broke my heart to see her deteriorate like that, especially when I knew there was nothing I nor anyone else could do.
She was taking Aricept, an AD drug that is supposed to slow the progression, but typically has little effect.
Her husband tried to care for his beloved wife of nearly 60 years, but his health, too was deteriorating each time he brought her until finally he had to place her in an Alzheimer's facility. Six months later, she succumbed to her disease and just a couple of months after that, her husband also died.
I know sometimes people joke about Alzheimer's and I can tell you, that is a bigger fear for me than cancer. Even though, I am at a lower risk for it since I don't have a brother, sister or parent who has or had it, (yet), because I had an aunt who had early onset AD, I'm more than just a little worried.
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your grandmother's story with us. I know the feeling of not wanting to post about something that is emotionally dificult for us, but it is the post option that speaks to us the most. I have not personally known anyone with the disease but I often hear people that have been close to it say that Alzheimer's is not when you forget something, but when you forget what something is for; it is not when you forget someones name; it's when you forget who someone is. once again thank you for your post.
Ana
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. My grandfather passed away not too long ago from cancer, but in his final few months he was completely forgetting who his own family was. Whenever I would go visit him I was always scared to look him in the eye because I didn't want to know that he didn't know who I was. I didn't want to know that to him I was just a stranger. My grandpa and I were pretty close and he became a role model to me. It was hard seeing him go. Although my grandpa didn't have Alzheimer's, I know how it is to get a "blank look" from someone so close to you. It is a very bad feeling. Thank you for sharing your story and the information you provided is great.
Christina
Amy Jo,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your loss, I too have experienced this disease 1st hand. My Great Aunt past away from this horrible disease in February. I wanted what she went through for over 15 years. Her daughters called her the energizer bunny because she just kept hanging on. There were many times at family functions that she would have no idea who i was but she would think my sister was my mom because they look so much alike and she could remeber things from when she was younger better than the more recent events. Hopefully one day soon they will find a cure for this awful disease.
Bridget