The End Game

I read this article today, which relates: "Beloved science fiction and fantasy writer Terry Pratchett has terminal early-onset Alzheimer's. He's determined to have the option of choosing the time and place of his death, rather than enduring the potentially horrific drawn-out death that Alzheimer's sometimes brings. But Britain bans assisted suicide, and Pratchett is campaigning to have the law changed." I have seen the ravages of Alzheimer's. Because we have lacked sufficient funds for research, we still appear to be years (hopefully not decades) away from a magic cure or way to avert this hideous killer. And make no mistake

Responding to “Our Irrational Fear of Forgetting”

On Sunday, May 22, Margaret Morganroth Gullette wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, titled, Our Irrational Fear of Forgetting. And I responded to her, in my letter to the editor. But I didn’t quite get everything off my chest. There is so much wrong with her editorial. This woman is in denial. We are happy she had such a good experience with her mother and Alzheimer's. Sadly, that is certainly not the case with the majority who suffer and the families that cares for them. Mrs. Gullette had the luxury of visiting her mother in an assisted living

Mice are Nice

It's true. I used to hate those rodents with the wiggly whiskers and the long tail who could, if they bit me, give me rabies. While everyone else adored the Disney animated feature, "Ratatouille," I was repelled by it. I mean, who cares that Remy (the hero) is the most talented chef in Paree? I have no interest in having either a rat or mouse (probably a sous-chef) get their little whiskers in my quiche. But I'm reevaluating my thinking. Dr. Frank LaFerla, Ph.D, a world-renowned leader in Alzheimer•s disease research has published research that shows that a mouse•s neural

Up Close and Personal

Every week, 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 Maureen's story. My beautiful mother, who worked her whole life, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 68. She had just buried my Dad a year prior and her sister in 2003. She watched both of them suffer and was there at their side every day in the hospital praying and caring for them. I don't know if loosing both of them a year apart was too much for

Meryl and Me, Part 2

Over our dining room table we worked out a plan for a fundraiser for Alzheimer's. Ellen Proxmire and others were opting for a small, manageable event. Tony Sudler, the head of the Virginia/Maryland Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association (a truly wonderful chapter) was willing to take either/anything. My husband George was almost 100% now, after having suffered a massive heart attack the year before (but that•s another saga for another time). Still, he was unsure if he should take on a big event. George tentatively voted for small; Meryl and I exchanged sly glances and our hands shot up for