Alzheimer

I've seen a lot of sick people. I've had to tell a lot of people bad news. I thought telling people they had cancer was going to be the worst part of the job, but I'm quickly learning that people take hearing they have, or their family member has, Alzheimer dementia just as poorly. Who could blame them?

Nearly half of the elderly population have AD, so if you haven't dealt with it yet, just wait. It is also not a very forgiving disease. It slowly steals your life and your dignity. Trust me, it doesn't just steal your memory. First you lose the ability to do things you learned as a young adult. Managing finances. Cleaning and cooking. Then those teenage lessons are gone. Driving. Shopping. Time keeps rolling backward and you loose your childhood. Dressing and hygiene. Finally, you're stripped of all independence. Toileting. Feeding. All gone.

Terrible. Frustrating. Aggravating. I know. To shed a little light on such a gloomy topic, there are a few things out there to slow it down. Aricept. Razadyne. Exelon. Namenda. Take your pick. We might not have a cure, but it's usually better than nothing. And at this point, it's all we've got. People have tried estrogen, testosterone, NSAIDs, and ginkgo, but nothing else has really panned out. Hopefully, there are some smart people somewhere hiding in a lab working on the next "latest-and-greatest".

Maybe we shouldn't just sit around and wait for the robber to come in the middle of the night and take this from us, why don't we try locking the doors and windows first and prevent this relentless beast from taking hold in the first place. Sounds like a great idea, and we've been looking. Unfortunately, NOTHING has been shown to be effective in preventing AD. Few people say that taking omega-3, controlling blood pressure, and staying physically and cognitively active can help, but unfortunately the data just isn't there. Yet. In my opinion though, it can't hurt. So keep playing Rumikub, Grandma!