Alzheimer's, that is. And Dementia. Losing our minds, literally.
Most people know memory loss is a normal part of aging. But the very real terror of the possibility of getting Alzheimer's is a bit of a secret among my women friends who are 50 and older. We joke about our memory gaps, in part to ease our fears. (CRS or "Can't Remember Shit" is a favorite acronym of mine). But it's not funny when we have to whisper to each other at a party, "What is her name again?" And then, "Yes! How could I forget that!" We commiserate, but secretly worry. Do I have IT.
Most of us are still working, in top form, at the peak of our careers. Yet we don't let on at work that we forgot a name, make detailed to-do lists, sometimes forget where we are going from one meeting to the next (my smart phone saves me), and that we didn't set up that promised meeting right away because we forgot to put it on the aforementioned to-do list. Is anyone noticing?
At home, we head into the kitchen, full of purpose, and then wonder why we walked into the kitchen once we get there. Oh yeah, to see what I need to get at the store. How could I forget, just like that? I have started repeating stories so often that I now try to ask people before I begin one, "Have I told you this story yet?" I'm only 55. I've always had a bad memory, but...
Each time someone our age is in the news with that dreaded diagnosis of Early Onset Dementia or Early Alzheimer's we collectively think, "Could I be next?" I was stunned when we learned of Pat Summitt's Early Onset Dementia diagnosis just this summer - the type that will lead to Alzheimer's. Summitt is the head women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee and the most winning coach in college basketball history, men's or women's. And she is only 59. She looked fine last season. She bravely came out with her story, and says she is taking medication and doing memory exercises with the hope of coaching for a few more seasons, with the help of her staff. News accounts say symptoms included missed meetings and forgotten plays. That's all?! What else did she and others notice?
Do men my age worry like this? I don't hear them talking about it if they do. It's true that women are diagnosed with Alzheimer's at a higher rate then men, but it seems to be a woman's worry. I know a few women with simple memory loss symptoms who have made appointments with their doctors or even at memory loss clinics just to be sure it is nothing more than age. No one has come back yet with the diagnosis of Early Onset Dementia or the "Big A." But we are worried, even terrified. We know more than one of us will come back with the dreaded diagnosis some day. Please. Not me. Ever.
Summitt's courage in going public is a wake up call to those of us worrying and wondering. To take those little lapses seriously. To not ignore if normal memory loss is getting worse and starting to interfere with how we function. To know the symptoms and get checked out.
An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. This figure includes 5.2 million people aged 65 and older, and 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. As we Baby Boomers age the percentages will continue to go up. (Source)
So it's okay to be worried, but we also need to be empowered with information. A great resource is the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Learn more about Dementia from them here and about Alzheimer's here. And here is a great list of symptoms of Alzheimer's that includes a comparison to normal memory loss.
Okay, I'm pretty sure it's just a normal aging memory thing after reading that list.
Pretty sure.
Ann,
ReplyDeleteYou have echoed my own concerns and fears about memory loss and focus. Pat Summit's public admission of her condition has freaked me out too. I take comfort in the anecdotal evidence from a casting director of a well-known theater who told me that she notices that among actors, men over 50 have significantly more problems remembering lines and stage directions than women over 50. I'd be curious to know if anybody has tried supplements or vitamin cocktails to boost memory and if anything has made a difference.
Thanks, Lynette. Yes, people reading this, please share your stories and what you do to minimize your memory loss.
ReplyDeleteHey Ann,
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's running anymore, but "My Father's Bookshelf" was a great play dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. I learned that humor is the best remedy when dealing with this. And you don't have to be 50+ to be worried about this. Watching a loved one go through dementia or any personality changing disorder brings awareness to something a lot of us will go through.
Personally, I think the current research on what empowering choices we can make every day to mitigate Alzheimer's and dementia is aerobic exercise [1], learning / stimulating the brain as much as we can [2], and general mindfulness [3,4]. I love the idea that playing Sudoku or the Wii can possibly delay onset :-)
[1] http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/01/aerobic_training_boosts_aging.html
[2] http://www.livescience.com/581-mental-exercise-halves-risk-dementia.html
[3] http://aboutalz.com/?p=1362
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_%28psychology%29
Thanks, Jon! Great comment and list of suggestions. And so true that it is something that so many of us fear due to watching someone we love go through it. And isn't it true that the prevention for so much of what could ail us is exercise and healthy eating?!
ReplyDeleteOkay thanks Ann,now I've got something new to worry about. I actually have not been living in fear of Alzheimers. I have always been a daydreamer, forgetful, and easily distracted. Many of my childhood memories are of losing things, forgetting to retrieve my belongings from wherever I happened to set them down, remembering to do homework but then forgetting to take it to school, I could go on. My mom chalked it up to daydreaming..."if you would quit daydreaming and pay attention to whats going on..." So my current forgetfulness while very irritating just seems natural. I did learn to keep track of my stuff, and I have tools at my disposal now that I didn't have in my youth, so actually I'm doing better not than then. Don't get me wrong, I certainly have those moments when I wonder if I'm losing it, like recently walking all over a giant parking lot searching desperately for my black Corolla before remembering that the car I had parked was a rental car--a tan Camry that I had walked past several times. Okay, I'm gonna go play Sudoku for a while.
ReplyDelete@RoAnne - I've always been a daydreamer and distracted, too. But now so much more so!
ReplyDeleteHi Ann,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I am not quite at the "age" of worry, however from time to time my memory fails me. Two major factuors (stress & multi-tasking) are usually in play for me and probably most people who experience a temporary laspe.
When we are stressed out it can be difficult to recall the information that's in storage. When possible, take a few deep breaths and relax, as it may help you access the info you think you've forgotten. The times that you're the most relaxed, you may find yourself remembering the weirdest stuff. :-)
When we are multi-tasking it's close to impossible to do just one of our tasks well. Focus on one task at a time and you won't forget that you left the water running in the bath while you're downstairs on the phone while simultaneously cleaning the cat litter...
Lynette, a lot of work has been done on supplements and warding off the A word. Some of the most promising are Turmeric, Vitamin D3, Omega 3 & ECGC which is prominent in green tea. Of course, a healthy diet will also help. I also like a good daily dose of Sudoku!
YO!