When Jim joined the army and went
to Vietnam, my biggest worry was that he wouldn’t come home. I breathed a huge
sigh of relief when he got off the plane in Kansas City, never expecting that
part of his mind would always remain in the jungle. He had PTSD before it had a name, but even though we didn’t know what to call it, we knew its insidious
nature.
Jim went through years of
depression. He spent time in a stress unit, trying to deal with the dark
feelings that brought him down to lower and lower levels. Jim would sometimes
tell me, “You would be better off without me” trying to prepare me when suicide
seemed the way out of the living nightmare brought on by PTSD.
The final insult to Jim’s quality
of life was when dementia played more havoc with his brain. The odd thing about
dementia is that as it robs a person of short-term memory, long-term memory
seems more recent. One day in a restaurant, Jim began to sob uncontrollably as
he vividly recalled an incident from Vietnam.
I always believed that Jim’s tour
of duty had much more to do with his dementia than the VA would ever admit.
Researchers agree that a definite link exists between PTSD and dementia. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of
Defense concluded that veterans with PTSD are 77% more likely to develop
dementia than veterans who do not have it.
I’ve been an advocate for Alzheimer’s
research for several years. Currently, I am the Alzheimer’s Ambassador for Congresswoman
Vicky Hartzler. When I visit the Congresswoman or her staff, I always know they
are listening. I’ve often been pleasantly surprised when she goes beyond my
expectations.
Today, I read Congresswoman
Hartzler’s newsletter and saw an article, “Expanding Alzheimer’s Research.” She
proposed an amendment to the FY2017 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill
to increase funding for Alzheimer’s research. When proposing the amendment, Hartzler
said, “Alzheimer’s is a heartbreaking disease devastating lives, crushing
families, and potentially bankrupting our nation.”
In her newsletter, she said, “Studies
show our soldiers are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s due to the
nature of their service. Focusing research on their conditions can not only
help prevent this disease from ravishing our veterans, it can also provide hope
for millions of Americans at risk or suffering from the disease.”
The amendment supplements the
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program of the Department of Defense
Health Program by an additional $5 million, bringing the total to $20 million.
The amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill passed on the
House floor (282-138) earlier this week.
I am deeply grateful to Vicky
Hartzler for looking out for our veterans and the more than five million
Americans who currently have Alzheimer’s disease.
Copyright © June 2016 by L.S.
Fisher
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