Almost every day I hear about or see some sort of information about awareness for a disease. Last month we recognized breast cancer, and I’m sure that cancer awareness and support will be pursued greatly in honor of the memory of our beloved Bulldog Nick Bell, as it should.
We hear startling statistics and accounts of first-hand experiences with deadly diseases all the time: this is my story.
I am unable to recall a time of my life when I was not directly affected by the painful destruction of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive, fatal brain disease that destroys brain nerve cells and causes senile dementia. As long as I can remember, I have had a close family member suffering from this slow killer.
To say that Alzheimer’s disease runs in my family would be an understatement. My grandfather and five of his siblings have died from complications during the final stages of the disease, his two remaining siblings have it now, and my father’s sister is rapidly showing signs of the disease.
There is no doubt the APOE4 Alzheimer’s gene is present in the Breedlove family.
My great aunt, the fifth person in my family to have Alzheimer’s, recently passed away; however, for all practical purposes, you could really say I lost my great aunt a very long time ago. She had not been able to recognize me, my father or anyone else in my family for years.
At the time of her death, during the final and most tragic stage of the disease, she had lost all ability to communicate and needed constant assistance and supervision. She was unable to eat, use the restroom or do anything else on her own.
I can’t properly describe in words how terrible this situation was for my family and me. It is sad enough to lose a loved one, but to watch him or her slowly die over time is the worst thing one can experience.
My great aunt helped raise me, and I loved her dearly — and she loved me. The first time I saw her when she didn’t recognize me, know who I was or why I was there was absolutely heartbreaking.
The last time I saw her alive — after she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for many years — was one of the worst days of my life. She did not resemble my sweet aunt in the slightest.
Everything about her, especially her physical appearance, had been grotesquely distorted by the disease. The only thing worse than seeing this was seeing my dad’s painful reaction to her decay.
I’m no political scholar, and to be honest, there are many things about our government I simply do not understand, but should. However, when the question of health care comes into play, I can’t help but perk up. I have to perk up. My family’s mental health is at stake.
Treatment versus research for Alzheimer’s disease is something many doctors and patients are having some dispute over.
The New York Times is full of health articles, blogs and videos about what the next step will be for the future of Alzheimer’s.
Treatment for the disease is expensive, like everything else in this country, and because of the expense, many plans for research and ideas get put on the back burner. It should not take the death of a loved one to make one start caring about the illness from which he or she was suffering. However noble that statement sounds, I think it can be applied to everyone, including me.
Treatment and research for Alzheimer’s disease should not cease; whatever future turns our country takes in the way of health care, monetary funds for research for a cure of Alzheimer’s must be met.
Currently, about four million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to jump to 14 million within the decade.
It is our responsibility as the children and grandchildren of the generation of baby boomers to take care of them. Participating in events to raise money for the disease, volunteering and donating money are ways we can help pave the way for a discovery for the cure of Alzheimer’s.
We simply cannot sit back and “hope for the best.” Hope in the treatment and cure for this disease lies in the hands of people who care enough to invest time, money and energy into it.
Let’s be those people.
Mary Chase Breedlove is a sophomore majoring in communication. She can be contacted at [email protected].