In Sickness and in Health: A Response to Pat Robertson

When Pat Robertson answered a caller's question on his radio show stating that divorce is a reasonable option for Alzheimer's patients' spouses if they're going to do something in a new relationship, he opened up a hornets' nest of reactions. And many of those hornets had their proverbial stingers out. Is it okay to check your vows at the door if your marriage partner is slipping into the unforgiving vortex of Alzheimer's? If so, what stage - onset, failing memory, paranoid rants, cognitive disassociation, comatose? Mr. Robertson wasn't that specific. Yet he was clearly wrestling with the reality of that

Memory, Reality

This college essay for admission to Cornell University was written by my daughter, Alissa, at the age of 17. The scene is so clear to me. I am wearing my favorite blue and white-checkered dress. Nana has on bright red lipstick, which eventually will end up all over my face after the encore. It was one of my favorite moments – the spotlight on me and Nana by my side. Sometimes I yearn to go back to that moment rather than see how things are today. Memory: The music blares. The lights come up. Two figures appear on the state

Grandpa Wayne

Once in awhile, we'll feature the personal story of someone who has a firsthand experience with Alzheimer's, or who simply wants to find a cure for this unforgiving disease. This is Amanda's story. If you want to share your own story, CLICK HERE. I lost my best friend when my grandpa got Alzheimer's. My grandpa passed away from Alzheimer's Disease in 2005; he was 68. I was 12 when he started showing signs; my grandpa was 58 years old when diagnosed with the disease. My great grandma, my great aunt, and my dad have all been tested for Alzheimer's in

Who Do You Trust?

Two weeks ago, I was sitting here combing through the newspapers and I was ecstatic that the lockout is over: the football season, not the government. The players and owners can get together. Maybe they should coach the government on negotiating and coming together. Oh, wait, they already offered to do that. I listened to the point, counterpoint the week prior night between President Obama and Speaker Boehner and wondered who was telling the truth. Well, I mean, they can't both be right, can they? But I guess they can both believe their own narrative. So while one believes that

Not Just Talk: Behind the Scenes at an Alzheimer’s Congressional Hearing

I have been to some Congressional hearings and might I sum most of them up right now: yawn. Except for the hearing two weeks ago on Alzheimer’s. So maybe you have to be interested – okay, passionately involved – in the subject for a hearing to be interesting. You say Alzheimer’s and I’m there. I think the headline of this hearing should have been “Alzheimer’s Threatens Global Fiscal Stability.” In other words, Congress, if you don’t fix Alzheimer’s with a cure or way to prevent it, we’re all going under. Already the worldwide number of victims with this as-yet incurable