Alzheimer's Disease

My Dad's father had Alzheimer's Disease for a long time before he passed away. I remember being pregnant with my second child at his funeral. In some ways, it seems like a long time ago. I still miss him. At the end of my grandfather's life, he did not recognize any of us. I would greet him with a "Hi, Grandpa" and he would smile and give me a thumb's up, but I knew he had no idea who I was.

His decline was gradual - and sometimes very difficult to watch. There was one occasion at church when I could visably see his frustration at not being able to work his way through a sentence. It wasn't long after that he stopped coming to church. He couldn't hold a normal conversation with people and he was aware of it - and embarrassed by it. I thought that had to be the most frustrating thing to experience. I don't mean the problem of wanting to communicate and not being able to do so, but rather, knowing you USED to be able to communicate well and being fully aware of the fact that you are losing the ability to do so.

The whole process of Alzheimer's disease taking over my grandpa's brain was a surprisingly slow one. He was put on an experimental medication as a part of a "trail" of the drug and that did seem to help. We knew he was on the medication instead of the placebo by the side effects. For awhile, the spiral downward slowed.

My Dad, his brother and their two wives did a fantastic job of taking care of grandpa. Sometimes, grandpa would do things that made someone mad. Other times, he would do something that scared someone. Throughout all of it, my grandpa maintained his desire to work outdoors. That was one thing he never forgot. He loved working outside.

One year, we all went fishing at Tablerock Lake - a family "tradition" since my childhood. We took grandpa with us as it would be unthinkable to leave him with someone else. Fishing was as much a part of my grandpa as breathing. He loved it. I have some wonderful memories of running trot lines, fishing before breakfast and spending long days in the sun on the lake. At one point, I saw grandpa moving things around in his suitcase. He did it for what seemed like a very long time. I asked my Dad what he was doing and he responded that grandpa was sorting his socks. I raised an eyebrow questioningly and my Dad told me that it was related to the Alzheimer's disease and grandpa's deterioration.

When my grandpa passed away, I put together a posterboard of pictures of his life. It was my way of recognizing the man I knew and the memories I would always cherish. I enjoyed having him for a grandfather. I know that everyone has to die of something, but there is something especially heartwrenching about watching it happen a little at a time over a span of years. Alzheimer's disease is cruel that way.

Each year, for my Dad's birthday, I contribute a small donation to the Alzheimer's Association in my grandpa's name. Interestingly, my Dad and his Dad shared the same birthday. It isn't a symbolic gesture - that small donation. I truly hope it helps pave the way for a cure.

If you want to learn more about Alzheimer's, I want to provide a few links:

Warning signs of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's Information

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