Alzheimer's Disease

I have seen people with this dreadful disease, and it's very sad to watch them as they go through each stage. It's heartbreaking for family members to look at someone they know and love, and have them look back at you with emptiness in their eyes. Eyes that were once full of light, joy, and eagerness.

This is one of the cruelest afflictions,especially for the friends and family.Watching a loved one deteriorate with altzheimers is a heartbreaking,stressful nightmare.In the late stages,all that is left is a shell of the victim.Taking care of an altzheimers patient is a 24 hour,7 day a week job that can go on for years.They become a danger to themselves and their environment.They might wander out in the middle of night in freezing weather in their underwear or set something on fire on the stove by accident.I know a few folks who took care of an elderly parent in this condition.They had NO life,and often it cost them their job.They really need to be put in a facility,and that can be unaffordable as well as a guilt trip for the family. Tragic situations like this are one of the reasons I believe in universal healthcare.

Totally agree that it is catastrophic. I'm sure most people have seen someone with this horrible disease and I was personally affected by it with a best friend. She died way too soon and I could not do anything to help her. Nothing good comes out of it but I have committed to researching and writing articles about the latest discoveries of what might help prevent or help cure Alzheimers. One thing that bothers me is the fact that most of the antiperspirants we use have aluminum in them and many doctors and researchers have said that it could be a contributor to Alzheimers? Why do so many of our skin and health care products have anything that is remotely harmful to humans, in them? Then the report is out that Teflon pans are poisoning us! I am always reading labels on everything anymore and feel like I should be my own health advocate for the most part. Sigh~ I just wrote one about the healing effects of eating celery and how the luteolin in it helps to reduce brain swelling and poss... Read more

My ex-father in law is suffering in the late-early stages of this. While I don't care much for him (although next to his Sea Hag wife he's St. Francis of Asissi) I wouldn't wish this evil shit on anyone. I last saw him six months ago, and he couldn't hold a coherent conversation for more than three or four minutes, and according to my sons he has declined since then. A vicious, soul-killing way to die. I think I'd step off a bridge if this started to happen to me.

horrible disease to happen to the victim and their family and friends. I had relatives I saw go from being productive full of life and then slowly slip away. it is awful to have a close relative not know you anymore. and more awful for them. If i end up with this i can see why some chose to end "things" before it gets too bad. I would not want people to see me that way, staring with blank eyes, needing the humiliation of needing to be taken care of 24/7. a very cruel disease. and with people living longer they have a higher chance of getting this sinister disease.

My grandmother died from this at 89 years old at about 4 o'clock this morning Eastern time.This is a hideous, heartbreaking, robber of a disease. She led a happy, full life for most of her life, but she didn't really know who I was for the last two or three years. It wasn't a surprise, we'd been expecting it for some time. My grandfather died in October, and they were married for 64 years. It's uncanny how often couples go so close to each other. This John Prine song, " Hello In There" really reminds me of it all: We had an apartment in the city, Me and Loretta liked living there. Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown, A life of their own left us alone. John and Linda live in Omaha, And Joe is somewhere on the road. We lost Davy in the Korean war, And I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore. Chorus: Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger, And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day. Old people just grow lonesome Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello." ... Read more

A year ago I had a client ask for the best urine cleaner on the market (I train dogs as a day job) she needed it, not for her dogs, but for her elderly mother. Her mom had this disease so bad that apparently she would wet herself and not even know it. I can't imagine a disease so brutal that it robs people of their mind. My heart goes out to anybody affected by it.

I would hate to not remember anyone or anything. My memories are what makes me who I am!

Alzheimer's is so devastating because it's a lingering illness that slowly robs an otherwise healthy individual of his or her most core attributes--personality, memory, cognition.  Unlike diseases such as cancer, which may strike quickly but allow the family to prepare and say good-bye, Alzheimer's gradually steals away the victim until there is no one recognizable to say good-bye today.  And as the disease progresses, not only does the family have to deal with the pain of watching their loved one lose his or her identity, but they're also saddled with the burden of constant supervision.  Thankfully, advances in medicine are increasingly staving off the worst effects of Alzheimer's.

The worst thing about Alzheimer's disease is that the body is usually very healthy but the mind is gone. It is a sad thing to see. Especially for the kids whom the patient does not recognize nor the kids who cannot understand what has happened. It is very difficult to take care of these patients and keep them safe. They are totally defenseless.