Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8460 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016 goodADVICE You Don't Have to Go it Alone There is no cure. It’s what makes a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease so scary. That coupled with the knowledge that you or a loved one will show a progressive decline in mental faculties to the point of not being able to remember your own past, to communicate or to recognize the ones you love. It’s time this disease had some good news. Consider these promising things, too. • The disease is on the decline (thank goodness!). • Research is showing that proper treatment can drastically improve the rate of progression of symptoms. • A small but promising study has shown that memory loss in patients can actually be reversed through a rigorous treatment affecting brain chemistry. • New medicines are improving the quality of life for much longer. • There are great support services to help family members who are caring for their loved ones. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or other dementias is life changing for the patient, but it is equally life changing for their loved ones, especially the person who will serve as the primary caregiver. As the disease progresses, the patient will likely become less aware of the impact of the disease on themselves or on those around them, but the challenges for the caregiver only become greater. Pat Warren’s sister Teresa was diagnosed just a year and a half ago, while still in her 50’s. Their father had been diagnosed in his 80’s, but Pat could have never guessed that her baby sister, nine years her junior, the one she’d helped care for as a child, would suffer the same fate in what Pat calls “the genetic roulette wheel.” Until the diagnosis, Teresa had been working full-time as a medical librarian at a local hospital. Her husband Stuart had been concerned about a few things but hadn’t started putting all the pieces together. For example, the couple had recently moved to a new home, but Teresa was having trouble getting to the new house when she was driving home from different places around the city. When she had a meltdown at work and quit, he was surprised. It turned out she’d had two performance ratings that had been less than stellar, and co-workers admitted they’d been covering for her for a while because she’d had trouble with some of the routine responsibilities of her job. by AliciaWanek continued on Page 77 “You almost hoped for a brain tumor because at least that had a chance of being removed and life going back to normal.” - Stuart Hanson, whose wife Teresa was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her 50’s. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE