Alane and Alzheimer's

It was very easy to say ‘yes.’ Stephen had called to ask if my girls and I would sing a special piece at the funeral for his wife, Alane. At fifty-six years old, Alane died of Alzheimer’s Disease, after having been diagnosed only three years ago. Witnessing the progression of Alzheimer’s in such a young woman has been humbling and, honestly, frightening. The last time my children and I spent time with her, Alane had a seizure that lasted several minutes… More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. (alzheimers.net) It’s estimated that approximately 200,000 people have early onset of the disease (meaning symptoms began before the age of 65, like with my friend). There’s speculation and lots of studies ongoing, but to date, scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s Disease. In a few hundred families worldwide, scientists have pinpointed several rare genes that directly cause Alzheimer's, though, and people who inherit these rare genes tend to develop symptoms early in life (30s, 40s and 50s). I don’t know if Alane fell into that genetic category, but it doesn’t really seem to matter much, now. Alzheimer’s signs and symptoms include the following: 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily living, like forgetting important dates/events, repeatedly asking for the same information, and forgetting recently learned information. 2. Difficultly planning or in problem solving, like losing the ability to develop and follow a plan or to work with numbers, becoming confused by a familiar recipe or monthly bills. 3. Having difficulty completing familiar tasks, like finding the way to the market or remembering the how to play a favorite game. 4. Confusion with time or place, dates, seasons, and maybe even forgetting where you are or how you got there. 5. Problems with visual images and spatial relationships like having difficulty reading, seeing colors or judging distance. 6. Difficulty with speaking and writing or in joining a conversation; getting lost in a conversation, stopping in the middle and not knowing how to continue, repeating the same words or phrases and difficulty finding the right words for familiar items. 7. Putting things in unusual places, frequently losing things and sometimes accusing others of theft (even trusted loved ones). 8. Changes in judgement with increasing poor judgement in decision-making with less attention to hygiene and grooming. 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. 10. Changes in overall mood and even personality; confusion, suspicion, depression, fearfulness and anxiety. As she neared the inevitable, final stages, every day seemed to take Alane to a deeper level of feeling lost; a faraway place from whence there was no return; no recovery; no reprieve. It feels very lonely when it strikes near…or at home. 800-272-3900 Alzheimer’s helpline

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