When I got my diagnosis in June 2015, the only thing I knew
about Alzheimer’s was that there was no cure. But I was eager to learn.
Vaguely, I began to learn about the disease. One painful error was the
relationship between Alzheimer’s and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
There were distinct pathologies. At
that time, I was in touch with Steve DeWitt, a former high school football
player. Both Steve and I played high school football in Bellingham, Washington.
For a year or so we both thought we had head trauma caused by football. But we
were playing in the wrong arena. Somehow, we both conflated Alzheimer’s with
CTE, a much more fearsome adversity. So, stumbling as we walked, we began to
understand the real opponent: Early-onset Alzheimer’s. Then something sad
occurred. Steve began to slow down. This process, of course, was irreversible.
And now, I am slowing down. And
Steve is having a very hard time. My
goal is to get my book about Alzheimer’s in print sometime in 2020. But this is
not a race. And without my wife, Paula,
there would no book at all. Her copy-editing and proofreading: those skills
used be mine as well.
What can I do to help? Channeling
the Hippocratic oath, do no harm. In
the early years of the blog, I didn’t need a lot of help, other than Paula’s
proofreading. But during the last two months, things seem to be cratering. The
Evich men—my late father, my brother, and I—have dealt with anxiety.
Now, I am confronting the “fog.”
This is fairly common with Alzheimer’s. Recently I reviewed a book largely on
this phenomenon. Several years ago, I was visiting my mom at her assisted-care
facility. It was the first time that I saw someone with obvious dementia.
He seemed to float in the room, like
something from Greek myth. Did he stuff cotton in his ears? His journey was
almost done. But we mortals must cherish our time. Turn off your phones, and
tend to your souls.
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