Situation Update, Appeal, and Expose of a Killer Called Alzheimer's
May 27th 2009 19:23
Update On My Situation
Most of you are aware that, due to my mom's illness and my caregiving responsibilities, I've been unable to post much at Writer's Notes over the past few months. Some may also be aware of the latest development in my situation; but for those who aren't, I'd like to share an update: My dear, sweet, precious mother passed away Sunday, May 17th, at the age of 82, after a shockingly short, fierce battle with an unusually fast-progressing form of Alzheimer's, which devastated both mind and body before finally taking her life.
It's been a very sad time for my family and me and an extremely hard thing to watch this insidious disease wreak its devastation on a woman who was always so sharp, alert, detail-oriented, meticulous, and exacting before its onset--to watch her gradually (though rapidly) lose her ability to reason, communicate, walk, feed (or do anything else for) herself, and eventually even lose the ability to eat or drink (even through a straw) and even when fed by others.
I hope my description of the end-stages of this hellish disease isn't too graphic for my readers' sensibilities, but I believe that many (like me) were not previously aware of the true nature of Alzheimer's and just how devastating it can be. Prior to my own experience with this medical monster, I didn't know that it was a fatal disease and naively thought it always took years and years to develop and that its effects were limited to cognitive impairment, wandering and becoming lost, and other similar difficulties. I soon learned, though, that that isn't the half of it.
Dispelling the Widespread Myths About Alzheimer's
The following quote from the Alzheimer's Myths page of the Alzheimer's Association website addresses the reality of Alzheimer's--a reality of which most people are unaware:
Myth 2: Alzheimer’s disease is not fatal.
Reality: Alzheimer's disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away a person's identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home.
Reality: Alzheimer's disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away a person's identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home.
I hope this eye-opening information won't be too shocking to my readers, but I do feel it very important to dispel the myths that lull us into complacency about this devastating disease--making us ill-equipped to face it when it enters our lives. (For the other seven myths listed on the website, along with their rebuttals, visit the above link.)
Knowledge Equals Power to Prepare
The truth is that many people live many years with Alzheimer's, and in its earlier stages it rarely, if ever, wreaks the devastation that its later stages bring. Many Alzheimer's patients live reasonably happy lives for years. Yet, it's also important to be aware that this isn't always the case and to be prepared in the eventuality that we or our loved ones face a more aggressive, faster-moving variety.
There are drugs that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's somewhat if taken early enough in the disease process, though their effect is temporary, they only work for about half the people who take them, and that effect only lasts on average about 6 to 12 months. These facts are also addressed on the Alzheimer's Myths page of the Association's website (found at the link presented earlier in this post.)
This insidious disease snuck up on me, and by the time I realized what was happening, so much ground had already been lost. Then, it progressed at super speed like a horror movie video set to "fast forward," never allowing me to achieve (or regain) my equilibrium as a daughter, companion, caregiver, "nurse," or friend. In short, it was a nightmare, and I would hate to see this same nightmare come upon you unawares.
Please educate yourself about Alzheimer's, because you simply never know when it might strike someone you know and love--and when it does, there's absolutely no way of knowing for certain how much (or how little) time you have left.
Thanks so much for reading!
Jeanne
P.S. I'd planned to provide a link to a writing-related website as part of this post (since this is, after all, a writing blog); but, due to the serious and emotional nature of the above message, I've decided to hold off and provide that link in a separate post. When I first began penning the above post, I wasn't absolutely certain how much I would reveal about my mom's death or the precise manner in which that revelation would evolve. But, since I felt it so important to share and prepare my readers for the possibility of meeting Alzheimer's head on in the future, it seemed inappropriate and anticlimactic to follow my appeal with something so mundane as a link to a freelancing website. I hope that no one minds and that all will be patient until I can get the next post up. Thanks so much for your understanding.
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