Alzheimer’s Journey – Alzheimer’s Resource

On Alzheimer’s Action Day, “Alzheimer’s Journey” was launched as a new section to my www.lsfisher.com website. Journey is written for caregivers, those with dementia, or for others who want basic information about Alzheimer’s. Knowledge is key to coping with Alzheimer’s.

When my husband, Jim, was diagnosed with dementia, we were at the bottom of the Alzheimer’s learning curve. Neither of us had a close relative with Alzheimer’s and really knew nothing about the disease.

I thought Alzheimer’s was forgetfulness that developed in old age, and couldn’t really understand why my forty-nine-year-old husband was being told he had this condition. Still, the rudest awakening for us was to learn that although medications were available, they did not slow the progression of the disease. Yes, medication could help with symptoms, but the inevitable decline could not be avoided.

I began to learn everything I could about Alzheimer’s by exploring every resource I could find. I read every book I could find on Alzheimer’s, watched documentaries, visited countless websites, attended caregiver training (for professionals and family caregivers), forums, conferences, support groups, workshops, educational symposiums, and various other learning environments.

Every scrap of information helped me cope with a disease that wreaked havoc on life as I knew it. Once Jim and I began the Alzheimer’s Journey nothing was the same.

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is like any other crushing blow in life. Once I worked through the stages of grieving for what should-have could-have been, I decided that I just didn’t have the personality to give up and say, “Okay, Grim Reaper, you win.” My time was much better spent with living than with dying. After all, we are captive to the human body we inhabit and perfect health is the exception, not the rule.

My plan of action: (1) Learn as much as I could about Alzheimers, (2) Test for any treatable conditions that might cause dementia symptoms, (3) Treat any other health problems to maintain quality of life, (4) Accept the personal responsibility to ensure that Jim received the best care whether he was at home or in long-term care, and (5) Love him for the person he was at that particular time without mourning the loss of the man he had been or worrying too much about the man he would become.

It helps to take one day at a time, or as one caregiver said, “Sometimes I have to take one minute at a time.” Talking to other caregivers kept me from feeling all alone. I learned from their mistakes, and they learned from mine. By supporting each other, we became stronger spiritually, and made much better caregivers. Sometimes, it’s hard to attend a support group meeting, and the group may not have a meeting scheduled when a crisis occurs. Between group meetings, I found it easier to go online and post my questions, frustrations, and fears to a forum.

Alzheimer’s Journey will have a forum where people who have been touched by Alzheimer’s can communicate with each other. It will be a virtual support group. You will be able to view the forum without joining. If you want to join in the conversation or want input on a problem, create a user name and register.

Alzheimer’s Journey will be an Alzheimer’s resource with articles, news updates, and a forum. Everything will be in an easy to find format and you won’t have annoying advertisements blocking your view of the screen. I also won’t take you in endless loops trying to build “clicks” to increase advertising revenue. This site is for you, not for profit.

Copyright © September 2011 L. S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

www.lsfisher.com

Alzheimer’s Action Day – September 21

September 21 was known as World Alzheimer’s Day for many years. This year, September was designated World Alzheimer’s Month and the 21^st took on a new role—Alzheimer’s Action Day.

Alzheimer’s disease is a world problem with 35.6 million affected. It is a national crisis affecting 5.4 million in the U.S. It is an issue in every state—Missouri has 110,000 residents living with Alzheimer’s. Once Alzheimer’s deals us a devastating blow on a personal level, we learn the harsh reality behind the statistics. When Alzheimer’s claims a close friend, a cherished spouse, a beloved parent or grandparent, or sibling, we find ourselves in a battle with a formidable enemy.

In this country, more than 15 million caregivers provide comfort for loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease. Few family caregivers have professional training. Most learn by doing the job with a loving heart, compassion, and forbearance.

A primary caregiver doesn’t sacrifice a few hours here and there. Caregiving is a day in, day out job. The duties go on, and on, and on. Just when the caregiver thinks he or she has a handle on the situation, something will change. Or the solution for a problem yesterday, might work again today, and tomorrow it may make things worse instead of better.

No one ever said life was easy, but most of you don’t expect life to be a constant uphill battle without any rest. Life shouldn’t be a tug of war where you are in danger of being dragged into the mud pit no matter how deep you dig in our heels or how hard you try.

Caregiving can seem to be a thankless job. Sometimes the people you expect to support you, instead let you down. They may wish you good luck—but want to be left out of it.

Probably, one of the most difficult aspects of being a caregiver is to realize that not everyone is cut out to be one. Caregiving is only for the strong at heart, and it sure isn’t for sissies. You can’t shame or “guilt” someone into being a caregiver. Anyone who provides care grudgingly will do a lousy job of it.

It is best to let those who can’t go the caregiver route help in other ways. So maybe your brother can’t help mom with her bath, but what if he will mow the grass instead? Maybe your sister can’t tolerate your dad’s repetitive questions, but if she loves to cook, maybe she can provide dinner a few nights a week. Let people help at the levels they can. Accept any offers of help that come your way! Never, ever turn anyone down and have a list ready for those who really want to help, but don’t know what you need. It won’t take long to separate the sincere offers from vague platitudes.

Why do caregivers hang in there day after day? Is it out of a sense of duty? Sometimes. Is it because caregivers love being martyrs? Not often. The most common reason is love for the person with dementia—and to keep him or her as productive, happy, and physically healthy for as long as possible.

Whether you are a caregiver, or play a supporting role, have you thought about what you will do Wednesday to raise awareness? At the Alzheimer’s Action Summit last spring, we brainstormed some ideas to create awareness, so I’ve had some time to think about it.

At the beginning of September, I changed my Facebook photo to the "End Alz" icon. I will be on a local radio station (KSIS) at 9:30 Wednesday morning to talk about the human and economic cost of Alzheimer’s. In the afternoon I’ll be at Sedalia Book and Toy for a signing of my four Alzheimer’s Books. In honor of “Go Purple Day,” I’ll be giving a discount for anyone wearing purple. All my royalties will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association Mid-Missouri Chapter.

On September 21, I hope you wear purple to show you are in the battle against Alzheimer’s. The bigger the army, the better our chances are of someday living in a world without Alzheimer’s.

Copyright © September 2011

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com 

Voices, Pain, and Hope

 “Hey, Sheila, just touching base,” my call had gone to voice mail, as I pulled out onto the highway early Saturday morning on my way to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. “It’s a beautiful day and I don’t think it is going to r-a-i-n.” I spelled the word rather than say it aloud. All week the forecast had been for a beautiful day, and two days ago, it changed to a 40 percent chance of rain.

At the fairgrounds, Bobby and Kim had arrived with tables and chairs. Since this was my thirteenth walk and their first, I showed them where we needed tables. A year’s worth of planning has gone into making this day special for the people who know the pain this disease leaves in its wake.

Banners flew high, balloons were delivered, and my books lay on the table ready to sign. As I signed books, I heard their stories.

“I used to walk for Jimmy,” my husband’s cousin Shirley told me. “Now, I walk for my mom too. She doesn’t know me anymore.” I heard sorrow in her voice and saw pain in her eyes.

“I just lost my husband,” an elderly lady said as I signed her book. “He had Alzheimer’s.” Her family was one of our new teams.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. Our eyes met and we connected—person to person, woman to woman, widow to widow. We shared through silent communication the knowledge of watching a loved one change, and oh, so slowly, fade away.

“You are Lynne’s sister,” I said as I looked up and saw a woman holding a small dog in her arms. Lynne, my friend, had early-onset Alzheimer’s. “I wrote about her on my blog, but it will be in next year’s book.”

The stories lay on my heart. I heard about grandparents, sisters, brothers, uncles, spouses, friends, co-workers… Voices shared special memories and snippets of lives lost to a disease whose only survivors are family members like those standing in front of me.

Oddly, enough, the day was festive. The sorrow pushed aside as we do what we can—support the Alzheimer’s Association and wear our purple to create awareness that Alzheimer’s is a formidable enemy and we are going into battle. The music was upbeat and the teams lined up to begin the walk.

Sheila and I carried the banner through the arbor and as we headed out onto the fairgrounds, her son Phillip took over for her, and Phillip and I led everyone onto the route. We passed signs with Alzheimer’s information: Every 69 seconds a person develops Alzheimer’s. How many minutes does this walk take?

As we looped past the midway area of the fairgrounds, Phillip said, “People are just now coming out.” He was right. This had to be a record-breaking crowd.

A few people passed us up. My nieces Taylor and Alex decided they wanted to run and moved ahead of us. Everyone was greeted with applause and “Chariots of Fire” music at the finish line.

While we were gone, numbers were tallied. Sheila announced that we had more than 350 walkers and raised more than $23,000, surpassing all our goals.

We gathered in a grassy area to release the balloons. Sheila brought began a countdown. Purple balloons sailed toward heaven with names, messages, and prayers written on them. Through my own tear-blurred eyes, I noticed a young couple holding each other tight as they both cried.

Through the pain, I heard whispers of hope. We want this cruel disease to end. This vicious cycle of disease, loss, and certain death needs to be stopped. We are families and friends of 5.4 million Davids fighting a formidable giant.

The walk ended, goodbye hugs shared, the cleanup finished, and we went our separate ways. On the drive home, I felt like pinching myself. Was the day really over and as successful as I thought, or was I just dreaming again?

My elation with the success of the day, so perfect, was replaced with other more sobering thoughts. I couldn’t call my friend Ted to tell him the great news. His numbers are still programmed into my cell phone, but he is gone. The stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be deadly for the primary caregiver.

For a crushing moment, I’m overwhelmed with a vivid image of Jim and painful loss. Then my phone rang and brought me back to the present. Life goes on, and I have much, much more work to do. This battle isn’t over yet!

As I unloaded my car, I heard the distant rumble of thunder. Droplets felt cool on my skin and refreshing to my spirit. It was a perfect time for r-a-i-n to begin a new cycle of life.

Copyright © September 2011

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com
Photo courtesy of Randy Kirby, Sedalia MO

Sedalia Walk Exceeds Goals!

Follow the link below to hear my interview with KMZU radio. I'm sure they only aired a small segment of the interview. You will notice I used the word "awesome" several times, but then it WAS awesome!

Just follow the link and click on my name to hear the interview: http://www.kmzu.com/2011/09/walk-to-end-alzheimers-surpasses-goal/

Sedalia, MO: Organizers prepare for Saturday's Walk to End Alzheimer's |

Organizers prepare for Saturday's 'Walk to End Alzheimer's' | fisher, linda, organizers - Sedalia Democrat

The Power of Purple! The End of Alzheimer’s Starts With Me—and You!

Aren’t we all getting tired of the years that have passed without finding the elusive cure for Alzheimer’s? It is time to take up the banner and proclaim we want to end Alzheimer’s NOW.

Alzheimer’s has no cure or prevention and according to the CDC nearly 75,000 die each year from the disease. More than five million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s, and worldwide 35 million have the disease. Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates that 115 million people worldwide will have Alzheimer’s by 2050.

At one time, I knew nothing about Alzheimer’s and certainly didn’t think it affected anyone but the elderly. When the doctor told my 49-year-old husband he had dementia, most likely Alzheimer’s, my first reaction was, “They have medication for that now, don’t they?”

After our ten-year journey, I learned many harsh truths about Alzheimer’s. I know that I don’t want to have the disease, not now, not ever. I want to always recognize the people I love and continue to enjoy the talents and skills I’ve accumulated during my lifetime.

I don’t want anyone in my family to develop Alzheimer’s. I love visiting with my mom and discussing practical and philosophical matters with her—trivial details, or sweeping generalities. If she were to develop dementia, I would miss that important relationship. Not only do I wish that no one close to me has Alzheimer’s, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month and a perfect time to continue your support of the Alzheimer’s mission if, like me, you are a longtime volunteer. It is also an opportune time for newbies to learn about Alzheimer’s and become advocates.

Those of us who know Alzheimer’s from personal experience can show our support of this special month by wearing purple. After looking up information about purple, I believe it is a great choice for the fight against Alzheimer’s.

The color purple symbolizes mystery, and Alzheimer’s is indeed a mysterious disease. Researchers have learned much about the disease, but cannot solve the mystery of how to cure or prevent the disease. Purple represents magic, and we are ready for that magical moment when we live in a world without Alzheimer’s.

Purple is a combination of red (the warmest color) and blue (the coolest color). The color spectrum extremes could be compared to the emotional turmoil Alzheimer’s takes on the family of a person with Alzheimer’s.

It is only the second day of the month and I’ve polished my nails with an X-treme shade of purple. That way I’m sure that I’m wearing purple every day of World Alzheimer’s Month.

For many years, the 21st day of September was known as World Alzheimer’s Day, but since we now have an entire month, this day is known as Alzheimer’s Action Day. I have already changed my Facebook icon to END ALZ and encouraging everyone to do the same if they are ready to take the power of purple to the X-treme.

Why don’t we really make September 21 an action day? When you put on purple that day, take a few minutes to call your senator and representative to let them know Alzheimer’s research is a priority for you. Alzheimer’s research has always been underfunded and in this time of budgetary crisis, the belt may be tightened to the point of drying up Alzheimer’s research funding.

It will take millions of advocates to convince our legislators that Alzheimer’s isn’t going to go away on its own. The cost of Alzheimer’s disease is staggering. It is an expensive disease and a devastating disease for individuals with Alzheimer’s and for their families.

September 21 is Go Purple day! Wear your purple and share your personal story. The End of Alzheimer’s Starts With Me—And You. Individually, and collectively, we can take the POWER of PURPLE to a whole new level.

Copyright September 2011, L. S. Fisher

http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

Women of Courage Facing Early Onset Dementia

The sports world was shocked by news that 59-year old Coach Pat Summitt, Tennessee Women’s basketball coach, has an Alzheimer’s type of dementia. The news wasn’t uncovered through investigative reporting—the coach made the announcement herself.

Coach Summitt has met her Alzheimer’s challenge head on and fighting back. She knows this disease is not a game and nothing short of a miracle will allow her to win. Still, she has faced the disease with courage and announced that she will continue to coach as long as she can.

With a staff of veteran coaches and a supportive administration, Coach Summitt may be in the game for a long time. Remaining active and involved is the coach’s way of focusing on what she can do rather than what she can’t.

While the coach made national news, on a more personal level I heard from a friend of mine has always shown remarkable courage and faith. She developed frontotemporal dementia (FTD) while she was in her 30s.

After our initial polite greetings, I asked her how things were going.

“Taking it one day at a time,” she wrote on Facebook.

She went on to tell me that she and her husband had separated. This was sad and surprising news because he had always been so supportive and loving toward her. She goes on to tell me that her teenage son feels responsible for making sure she is all right.

Times are tough for them, and she had tried to find a part-time job to give her something to do and to supplement their income. She had already been fired from two jobs. She couldn’t remember all the steps to putting hamburgers together at the fast food place. She worked as a night clerk at a hotel but couldn’t keep anything straight so she was fired from that job too. She has an interview for a third job on Monday.

My friend had her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with FTD and now with her husband leaving, her world has flipped again. Unfortunately, rather than making the world right side up for her, it is even more out of kilter.

I think about how her husband must have felt to walk away from her. It would be easy to say what he did was unforgivable and let it go at that. But diseases like Alzheimer’s or FTD do not just affect the person with the disease. Relationships are collateral damage. I do not condone what he did, but I do understand how year after year of caregiving takes its toll. I’ve seen caregivers who sacrificed any semblance of a normal life for a decade or more, and some who sacrificed life itself and died before the person with dementia.

Even the best of us are only human. Loving caregivers do what they can for as long as they can. It takes determination and courage to hang in there day after day until the job is done. No one except a primary caregiver knows how hard that is, and I suspect that those caregivers would be the most adamant that my friend’s husband deserves to be eternally punished for his neglect. After all, he abandoned his wife in her time of need, and abdicated his responsibility to a teenager.

As for my friend, she faces the future with optimism and courage. For now, she will be satisfied with a part-time job. She has her faith and a son who loves her.

I don’t understand why life has dealt Pat Summitt and my friend these terrible blows, but I know they are women of courage, an inspiration, and an example for all of us.

Copyright © August 2011 L. S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

Planet of the Apes: Alzheimer’s Cure Gone Wild

Every now and then, I just have to go see a movie. A few weeks ago I saw The Smurfs with my grandchildren and daughter-in-law. I can relate to that show because I used to watch The Smurfs on TV with my kids when they were little. Jim and I even used the “Not far now” description when we were traveling, although sometimes our destination was still far, far away.

I really wanted to see something that wasn’t animated and thought Rise of the Planet of the Apes looked interesting. My memories of the Planet of the Apes original movie were fuzzy, but I remembered the story was intriguing and that the apes were more human than humans.

It didn’t take long to realize Alzheimer’s played a key role in the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Will, a researcher, discovered a cure for Alzheimer’s and the apes it was tested on became highly intelligent. Like too many miracle drugs, the fictional ALZ112 had deadly side effects. Apes became highly intelligent and human died from a virus.

The science fiction movie reflects how much our fears today have changed since the 60s when the original Planet of the Apes aired. In the new story, human holocaust is caused by a pandemic rather than a nuclear war. We are all afraid of getting a terrible disease without a cure.

Oh, wait. Isn’t that what Alzheimer’s is today? More than five million Americans are living with a disease that has no cure or effective treatment.

Although the apes were the focus of the movie, Will’s dad was a key part too. His dad was the compelling reason Will sought a cure for Alzheimer’s.

I imagine some people who would never go to see an “Alzheimer’s” movie might have seen their first glimpse of some of the challenges caregiver’s face. Will’s loving exasperation with his dad is  part of daily life for caregivers as they do what they can to care for loved ones.

The one thing that happened in this movie that hasn’t happened yet in real life was the interlude when the drug temporarily “cured” Alzheimer’s. What would it be like to wake up one morning and find your loved one had returned to normal? That would indeed be a day for celebration!

Will we ever see that day? Dedicated scientists have found miracle cures for other diseases. I carry a scar on my arm from a smallpox immunization. My children don’t have the scar because by the time they were old enough, it was no longer necessary. Smallpox was virtually unheard of during their childhood. Polio was another disease I remember being warned about when I was young.

Both of these diseases were challenging, but cures were found. That is what we need for Alzheimer’s—and the sooner the better. Too many people have journeyed down a road with a dead end. The warning signs are there, but with no way to go except forward, the destination is the same for everyone.

I understand Will’s desperation to stop the disease from taking his dad. I’ve felt that desperation, and I’ve seen it in the eyes of other family members when they hear the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s. Finding a cure seems to be moving in slow motion while we fast forward to the scary parts, and all we really want is a happier ending than we’ve been given. With all the medical advances of the past twenty years, or even the past five years, why can’t Alzheimer’s be cured?

It’s like the key to unlock the mystery of Alzheimer’s is buried in a mountain of keys that all look alike. It seems an impossible task to find the correct key and insert it into the lock. But when that perfect key is found, the lock will spring open.

The cure for Alzheimer’s isn’t just possible in a science fiction movie. The right key is there, it’s just waiting to be found.

Copyright © August 2011 L. S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blospot.com/

Snapshot

I worked at the Missouri State Fair this year taking pictures in the Cooperative building. I’ve had this job before and always enjoyed handing over this personal souvenir of the fair. The pictures are taken in front of a backdrop with the year, a life-sized Buddy Bear, and the words “Fun at the Fair.” I snapped the pictures as soon as the babies stopped crying and the adults quit scowling. Another cooperative employee pulled them up on a computer screen and sent them to the printer.

Part of the fun is seeing the priceless expression on a newbie’s faces when he realizes the picture is free. “You aren’t going to get my phone number or email account number to pressure me to buy something else?” one man asked.

“No, we aren’t even going to ask your name,” I replied. “We just take a picture and give it to you.”

Having their picture taken is on some people’s “must do at the fair” list. They walk through the door and immediately get in line to have their picture taken. One man said, “We have fifteen of these on our refrigerator—one taken each year.” Another man said, “This is our annual family picture.” A woman said with surprise in her voice when she looked at the picture of her daughter, “She’s taller than Buddy Bear now!”

A lot of us have annual events that mark the passage of time. It may be a family reunion, a holiday, or the State Fair. It’s amazing to compare snapshots year-to-year and see how we have changed. It’s always a little bittersweet when you look at your children, or grandchildren, and visually time travel the distance from one year to the next in a veritable blink of an eye.

Pictures used to be harder to take and people my age didn’t grow up in front of digital cameras and cell phones that send pictures to the Internet in a few clicks. We had to buy rolls of film with 12 or 24 pictures on them. We snapped away and then sent the film off to be developed. So we paid for film, paid for photo development, and then threw away about half of the pictures because they didn’t “take.” The good thing about the old-fashioned way is we ended up with print photos. Now, I take hundreds of pictures and store them on my computer, and seldom have print copies of them.

Snapshots are a pictorial history of our lives. They can help us retrieve memories that are filed within the deepest recesses of our brains. Sometimes a picture can remind us of how the sun felt on our skin, or how the breeze smelled. Snapshots are a way of time travel without using any mythical machine.

When Jim went into the nursing home, we surrounded him with photos of family. He had several small photo albums to remind him of better times. Occasionally, he would look at a photo and say the names of the people in the pictures.

I brought pictures of Jim on my advocacy trips to Washington DC. The first picture in my small album was of Jim dressed in his western shirt, Levis, and cowboy hat before dementia changed him. The second picture was of the early stages, what I called his eccentric stage, when he wore a denim jacket decorated with pins and his battered nametag from Branson. In the middle stages, the picture was taken at the park and he wore a Kansas City Chief’s shirt and sweatpants. His eyes have a blank look. Then in the later stages, the picture showed Jim in the nursing home hallway sitting in his merry walker.

Now, most of the snapshots are put away, and I only look at them occasionally with smiles and, sometimes, tears. The pictures are a one-dimensional view of a full and rich lifetime of memories.

Special events roll around annually and in the meantime, we will snap away to fill our computers and photo albums with people we love and places we visit. Life goes on and we continue to take pictures and record today for tomorrow’s history.

Copyright © L. S. Fisher August 2011
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com/

Look Into My Eyes

I used to play a game with my grandson where I put my forehead against his and said, “Look into my eyes!” For some reason he always thought that was funny. It might have been my goofy tone of voice, or else he could see something in my eyes no one else could.

Recently I found out just how deeply an optometrist can look into my eyes. While I was on vacation, I saw some flashes of light in my left peripheral vision and a few quick Internet searches later discovered that it could mean a detached retina. Knowing that doing something soon was the key, I tried to find someone to look at my eye on a weekend in a tiny town in Maine. Well, that just didn’t happen so I made an appointment as soon as I got home.

After dilating my eyes, the optometrist used a powerful scope to examine them. His verdict was that my retinas were in fine shape, and I didn’t have any eye disease. That was the best kind of news for me to hear. After all, my vision is horrible and I didn’t need anything to make it worse.

Now it seems that eyes may be a way to detect Alzheimer’s. Anyone who has been through the diagnostic process, especially with younger-onset dementia, knows just how painstakingly slow, and expensive, getting a diagnosis can be. It is no wonder that some people skip the testing and just assume they have Alzheimer’s.

Researchers have found a couple of different biomarkers in eyes that would indicate Alzheimer’s disease or the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. A new study from Australia discovered that blood vessels in the eyes of people with Alzheimer’s were a different width than those who did not have the disease.

Several years ago, researchers at Boston University found amyloid (the substance in Alzheimer’s plaques) in the eyes of people with Alzheimer’s. Some of the original researchers have been working several years on a laser scanner for early detection of Down’s and Alzheimer’s.

It takes years for research to be put into common use and the eye test for Alzheimer’s is no exception. So it doesn’t look like easy detection will happen soon.

You may be wondering why researchers would be trying to detect Alzheimer’s early when there isn’t a cure available and all current medication does is delay the symptoms, not the disease. One of the most compelling arguments for early diagnosis is to make sure you have Alzheimer’s and not a treatable condition.

It took us nearly two years to get a diagnosis for Jim. At first, we thought his symptoms might be from depression. When treating the depression didn’t help, he was checked for vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, AIDS, and other conditions that we probably didn’t even know they were ruling out.

After psychological testing, we learned that Jim had dementia—and the most likely cause was Alzheimer’s. This brought about a new series of tests. One scan indicated damage from a stroke, but a more sensitive scan showed general brain atrophy rather than stroke damage. A few specialists later, the Alzheimer’s type of dementia diagnosis seemed most likely.

So how would earlier detection have helped? If Jim had been able to take the Alzheimer’s drugs, they would have been more effective during the early stages of the disease. More important to us, we didn’t ignore a treatable condition with the assumption that he had Alzheimer’s.

I had good insurance, or we could not have afforded to explore all the possible reasons for Jim’s problems. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have insurance to pay for the endless testing to rule out reversible conditions.

If an eye exam could be used as a screening tool, it would be an inexpensive way to monitor your health. Looking into your eyes could mean you would know if your symptoms are from Alzheimer’s, or whether you need to keep searching for a different, and possibly treatable, cause.

Copyright © July 2011 L. S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com/