Alzheimer's - As of some one gently rapping

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "‘Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door - Only this and nothing more."

If you have seen one person progress from a totally normal healthy person to one that can't take care of themselves you will have the ability to spot Alzheimer's without tests and doctors. That was what happened in my case. A friends father that I knew and was close to was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. After the diagnoses I was able to recall the changes in him in the previous months that led to the diagnoses of Alzheimer's Disease.

I saw this happen to my mother Edith. In the people I know she was the next one to become a victim of the terrible condition called Alzheimer's. The name comes from Alois Alzheimer a German neurologist. I found out recently that my aunt Ruth, Edith's sister, is experiencing memory problems and as is Ruth's husband Bud.

The first sign that caused concern for me was I noticed that she was using he and she wrong when talking about our cats. We had two cats. One male and the other was female. She would still get their names right but when she used the pronouns he and she it was often wrong and this was not something she would confuse normally.

When this happened it effected me so much I have that conversation and the visual picture of what we were looking at permanently etched in my memory. At that moment I knew in my gut what was happening to her. I was the only one that knew. Not one other family member had the slightest idea what was festering deep inside. One of the most important things you can do is learn to trust your intuition and if you get a gut feeling about something learn to work with it because this can be one of your most valuable tools to get you through life.

I kept thinking it can't be but I knew it was Alzheimer's disease. It must be something else causing this was my denial phase but there is no way to deny this when you have been close to it before. It's more like despair and desperation. I kept watching her decline and didn't tell any one not even my father. He hadn't noticed the subtle changes or clues and had enough worries during his life. I decided to spare others the feelings I had to bare. The time would come when it would be evident to all.

Something I did before any one knew was study the newest information that was coming out about Alzheimer's. I did a kind of behind the scenes investigation of our environment to reduce exposure to anything that may have a connection to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. I kept going over everything I could get my hands on and compared it to my mothers situation. My search continues to this very day.

Was it something that she was recently exposed to in the environment or maybe there was something lacking in her diet. But nothing had changed in the environment that I could find and I knew it wasn't diet. Nutrition was of high interest to all of us and almost a passion. We seldom ate anything but whole foods. We had a large garden and fruit trees and grew berries. We had a better selection of food than most.

We always read the latest info about vitamins, minerals and all the other supplements. Not just what was in the magazines but the latest research that scientists were working on. We tried all the protocols that showed promise with high expense and no positive results. However I still keep looking for that magic bullet and you should too.

I have found somethings that have helped and made a big difference. Enough difference that one doctor stopped saying hello or acknowledging me at her office when I took my mother for her checkup. One doctor asked how did I do it and then said maybe it would be better that he didn't know. I did talk to one doctor that wanted to know because his mother has Alzheimer's and was impressed by the improvement he saw in my mother. A second doctor asked if I would help some of his patients he could no longer help but didn't want to do it himself. I see a pattern here, do you.

In the media they are now recommending that if you stay active and exercise, if you exercise your mind, it will help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Edith was in excellent physical condition and could keep up with an active forty year old with out breaking a sweat. She read every day and she always did difficult crossword puzzles and other hard to solve brain challenging puzzles. If there wasn't a dictionary or thesaurus you could ask Edith. She had excellent memory. Short and long term. She never had any mental disorders. She never had depression or anxiety attacks.

I can tell you they really don't know much about Alzheimer's disease. We constantly hear they are making progress. The way research and treatment are done today is a shame. It's like taking your car to a mechanic because the check engine light is on and the mechanic unplugs the wire that goes to the check engine light. The light no longer warns but what caused the light to come on is still there. I don't feel that they want to find a cure. I am also very suspicious as to the cause of Alzheimer's disease.

What did I get out of all this. I learned that they know almost nothing. I learned what doesn't help. We are constantly given bad information by the medical community, the media, the associations and the organizations. Give us more false hope and keep telling us the cure for Alzheimer's is just around the corner. Anything to keep the money flowing.

Find a family and help them with a cash donation or emotional support or help around their house. My mother and I are in financial hardship and would appreciate your help. I am sure we are not the only ones. To the right is a donation button that utilizes PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account they will still accept bank and credit cards. You only need a email address. They require that so they can send you a receipt. I do not see your card number only a PayPal transaction number.

I'll stop expressing my personal opinion now and let you form your own. I need sleep and I need to search through the house tomorrow to see if I can find anything I can sell to raise some cash on eBay or in a yard sale or at one of the consignment stores that sell used stuff. I've done this a few times already so I'm running out of things people are willing to buy but who knows I might get lucky.

So now I know what sources I don't trust when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. When I saw salaries, like the one you will see at the link I have placed at the bottom of this post, I decided I wasn't going to help pay them. Please go there and see with your own eyes.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/14/CH0001.html

That's a 2004 salary figure. I don't know if it includes benefits, bonuses or what type of expense account this position pays. At this level the extras don't usually count as part of the salary.

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor; Shall be lifted - nevermore!

Welcome to those that seek a solution to Alzheimer's Disease

I decided to write this because after searching endlessly for information about Alzheimer's disease I did not find much that helped me understand it. I have had a long time to look for answers and all I found were more questions. I probably don't have the answers you're looking for. What I do have is experience taking care of my mother 24 hours a day, every day, since October 1998.

I plan to talk about all the different aspects of Alzheimer's and the challenges the caregiver must face. What it's like to live with this responsibility. How to get through the day without going crazy and avoid burn out, depression and guilt.

I will try to give you tips that have helped me keep my mother happy, feel loved and feel she is where she is supposed to be. When Alzheimer's strikes it takes its victim on an emotional roller coaster that may be completely out of character for them. What I do when I recognize an emotional crisis is starting and how I stop it.

You'll learn about the financial, health, safety and security issues that Alzheimer's dis-ease brings with it. The old saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", isn't just a saying it's good advice. What I did and what I should have done. You need to know this information to avoid experiencing what I went through. I'll give you a glimpse into the obstacles and hardships I'm still facing.

I am also going to post what is happening now so you can get a know what to expect. You are going to hear about the progression of Alzheimer's and any improvements that occur. I'll talk about what we hear in the media and advice I have been given by doctors. You won't want to miss that.

I would like to state that what I say here is my own opinion and I am not a doctor. What I say in this and future posts in not intended to diagnose, treat or prescribe. I just want you to open your mind and make your own informed choices. I am not the average person and I hope that all that read this will join me. Do what the average person does and get average results. Do extraordinary things and get extraordinary results.