This past summer, we received the devastating news that my mom, who has always had an impeccable memory, has Alzheimer’s disease. We had suspected it for months, and I noticed a particular decline following her knee surgery in January of that year, but I chalked it up to typical aging first. But the more we talked, the more I started to realize that things were not normal, and there were obvious signs that her memory was starting to fade.
Living across the country, I wasn’t sure the impact it would have on me until I went to visit my parents over fall break. Upon arrival, we were greeted with big hugs and thankfully, she still fully recognized each of us by name, which was reassuring. There were conversations we had that talked in great detail about a family vacation when I was younger, or she told my kids all about her days working for the courts with her friends, whom she was able to name accurately at that moment. However, not long after, she would start asking questions like “where did you get these kids?”, referring to her two grandchildren, whom she has adored since the day they were born. Over the course of my visit, she continued to ask me things like, “How long have you had these kids?” and “You birthed both of these kids?” multiple times a day. Each time, I would pull out my phone and show her pictures of her holding my daughter in the hospital, just moments after she was born. I would show her more pictures of the various trips we took when they came out to Indiana to visit, and then she would say, “Oh yes, I remember that trip. I just didn’t know these were the same kids.”
The brain is such a complex thing. And yet, on the day-to-day, we don’t really think about taking care of it, except when we put on a helmet when we ride a bike. Even though Alzheimer’s isn’t necessarily preventable, and there is no cure, it still caught me thinking about what I can do now to try to ward off any possible symptoms. According to my doctor, Vitamin B12 complex and Creatine can both help cognitive function, so I immediately started taking them as a precaution. Unfortunately, even with a genetic predisposition, most insurance companies won’t cover an MRI or a CAT scan to check for early signs or damage until there’s a diagnosis. But I think the toughest part of all this for me is that my mom is the keeper of all the stories, the one who knows all the little details from my childhood that I am not sure she can recall anymore.
If you had asked me what the worst-case scenario that could happen to my aging parents, Alzheimer’s would be in the top five ailments for sure. But I’m hopeful that with modern medicine, current treatment options, and my mom’s positive attitude and sunny disposition, we’ll have her for many years to come.
