[Gatto]

Just about everyone I know has someone in their life that is being affected or has been affected by alzheimer's, myself included. I've done breast cancer research walks in the past but this is the first one to support a cause that is really important in my personal life. My grandma is in the middle stages of alzheimer's and it is not an easy thing to sit back and watch. I am going to be walking this September and if do decide you'd like to donate all the money goes straight to this charity through their website. If someone close to you has been affected or you'd just like to help out this link below is my personal fundraising site and I'm trying to raise $100 for this walk. Thanks for looking guys, also if you have anything to say please say it here or you can PM me.

2009 Memory Walk - Buffalo, NY - General Donation

 

[mrarroyo]

Done! good luck and I hope you and your family can cope w/ this devastating disease.

 

[f00fighters]

My grandfather has alzheimer's. He also suffers from dementia. I feed him on him on the weekends. He meets me for the first time, every time.

 

[DocHamm]

My grandmother and uncle (father's side) both died suffering from Alzheimer's. Currently my best friend's mother is entering the advanced stages and it is taking it's toll on the family. It is a terrible disease. Good luck in the walk!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yes, I've known a few.

My grandmother suffered from it and died just about six years ago. My father would stay with her during the week and I'd go to Arizona on the weekends to take care of her. She knew who my father and I were to the end, but not anyone else. She recognized the rest of my family - including her great-grandchildren, but didn't know their names.

One memory that sticks out was one day when she was going through her change jar. She had forgotten what the coins were.

Gatto, count me in.

 

[Gatto]

wow you guys! I wasn't expecting such a great response, I am really glad I signed up for this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Done! good luck and I hope you and your family can cope w/ this devastating disease.

Thanks so much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by f00fighters /img/forum/go_quote.gif My grandfather has alzheimer's. He also suffers from dementia. I feed him on him on the weekends. He meets me for the first time, every time.

That is so rough, I am really sorry for you and your family. I am not looking forward to the day that happens to my grandma. Unfortunately she is already at the point where she doesn't really recognize people in photographs anymore. She still knows who I am in person and on the phone though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocHamm /img/forum/go_quote.gif My grandmother and uncle (father's side) both died suffering from Alzheimer's. Currently my best friend's mother is entering the advanced stages and it is taking it's toll on the family. It is a terrible disease. Good luck in the walk!

Thanks for the support

. I am truly sorry to hear about your grandmother and uncle, it is just so painful to see. To your best friend's family I wish them the best and I hope then can find some peace even though it is so difficult.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I've known a few. My grandmother suffered from it and died just about six years ago. My father would stay with her during the week and I'd go to Arizona on the weekends to take care of her. She knew who my father and I were to the end, but not anyone else. She recognized the rest of my family - including her great-grandchildren, but didn't know their names. One memory that sticks out was one day when she was going through her change jar. She had forgotten what the coins were. Gatto, count me in.

I'm sorry to hear about your Grandmother

. I know exactly what you mean about the coins, my grandma once flipped over a glass because she thought you drink from the bottom. She's actually done that on a few occasions.


Quote:

Originally Posted by FirebottleRon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Grandfather had it before he died, broke my heart, still brings tears to my eyes. Thanks for the link.

I'm sorry about your grandfather

and you're quite welcome for the link.

 

[vcoheda]

i know someone. they become a different person. they have no sense of time or place. they have a vacant stare. they don't recognize people they once knew. definitely a pretty sad state.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Early onset Alzheimer's also happens. A dear friend of the family got it in her early 50s. The doctors misdiagnosed it because they weren't expecting it in someone so young. It was awful. She missed out on meeting her grandkids and her family was devestated. I hope there is a cure of effective treatment in the near future.

 

[krmathis]

None that I can think of.
My grandparents have all passed away (last one 7-8 months ago), while the next generation is in their early 60s and have a clear mind.

 

[aaron313]

Yes.

 

[tenzip]

Yah, my Grandmother on my mother's side had Alzheimer's. I remember crying for about half an hour when I took my fiance to meet her, and she not only didn't recognize me, but wouldn't talk to me.

Have a good walk, donated.

 

[omegaman]

My Gran, had it. Toward the end she could not remember hardly anything, just sat in a chair all day staring at nothing. It's an awful way to see a loved one go.

I've donated and it looks like you are already past your target. Well done Gatto and let us know how you get on.

 

[Gatto]

I just wanted to say thanks again everyone! I did pass my original goal but I've decided to raise it since there is still a month and a half left before the walk. I also want to say that in the past I've thought about going into Alzheimer's research if I do not decide to go to medical school and hearing all of these difficult stories have made me want to do that even more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Early onset Alzheimer's also happens. A dear friend of the family got it in her early 50s. The doctors misdiagnosed it because they weren't expecting it in someone so young. It was awful. She missed out on meeting her grandkids and her family was devestated. I hope there is a cure of effective treatment in the near future.

That is so scary, I didn't even realize it could set in so early. I'm really sorry about your friend

.Now I'm feeling pretty lucky that my grandma knows me, my little brother and my 5 cousins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron313 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes. Maternal grandmother and father's brother. First one was about 10-15 years ago, but I remember clearly just how despicable a disease it is. I never knew my grandmother, because by the time she moved here from South Africa, her mind was nearly gone. The end game was simply cruel for all involved, and I could think of nothing worse to wish on anyone. The second one was not as bad for me, because I wasn't as personally involved with the process, but he was only 57, and therefore younger than my dad. He never saw grandchildren, of which there are now four. My dad's side of the family is not as outwardly emotional, but I couldn't imagine losing a younger sibling, as my dad did. And to see an MIT BS and Yale MD have his mind melt away at a young age has to be one of the most difficult things to watch.

I'm sorry for your loss

I still can't believe this disease affects people who are so young that they never know their grandchildren.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenzip /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yah, my Grandmother on my mother's side had Alzheimer's. I remember crying for about half an hour when I took my fiance to meet her, and she not only didn't recognize me, but wouldn't talk to me. Have a good walk, donated.

I'm so sorry you had that experience, I would be an emotional disaster for at the very least that entire day if I had to go through that. Thank you very much for donating

Quote:

Originally Posted by omegaman /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Gran, had it. Toward the end she could not remember hardly anything, just sat in a chair all day staring at nothing. It's an awful way to see a loved one go. I've donated and it looks like you are already past your target. Well done Gatto and let us know how you get on.

I'm sorry

My grandma isn't quite at that point yet but she's gotten very content not doing much, I'm not looking forward to those days. Thanks so much for the donation! I am very happy that I passed that goal so quickly

 

[Bob_McBob]

I can definitely relate to this. My grandfather has Parkinson's, which is often accompanied by major cognitive issues. He was an electrical engineer, and designed/worked on many of the massive transformers used in the electrical supply grid. Very smart guy.

It's been painful watching him go through stages of the disease and gradually get worse. We used to go hiking all the time when I was a kid, and he gradually lost fine motor control, balance, etc. over a long period, and is now confined to a wheelchair. He started having hallucinations and other mental problems, and it's also gradually progressed to the point where he's pretty much out of it and hallucinates/has no idea where he is a lot of the time. The one positive thing I can hang on to is that he still has a lot of good days, and his memory is okay, if a little slow. He has a hard time understanding and accepting his situation on the good days

 

[soundboy]

My mom is in the early stages of having Alzheimer's Disease. This became noticeable to my sister and I about 3 years ago, although I suspected that the onset of the disease began a couple of years before that. Our Old English Sheepdog, Bogi, is helping her still active, both physically and mentally, during the day while I'm at work. At one point, I was thinking of getting my mom a Nintendo Wii to keep her active. For now, she's doing OK, but since I live with her, I can see she's slowly withdrawing herself from the outside world. It's really sad since I can still remember my mom as a vibrant young woman in her early 30s. I will be taking my mom on some oversea trips later this year while she still can remember those experiences.

My mom's mother, I suspect, also had Alzheimer's Disease. However, because she lived in mainland China, I don't think anyone knew what she had. The last time I saw my grandmother, about 5 years ago, she was bedridden and can hardly recognize anyone. She did recognize me and my mom but she can barely utter our names. Less than a week after my mom and I returned to the US, my grandmother passed away.