How does Alzheimer’s affect the dynamics of a family? What does early onset Alzheimer’s do to a person? How does early Alzheimer’s create gaps between family members? It was a Sunday evening, and everyone in the family was having dinner at the table. My mom and dad discussed their tennis schedules while my brother and sister argued about who gets to wash the dishes after.
On the other hand, I was busy scrolling my phone and just reading some stuff on social media. It was a normal part of our day. But suddenly, I noticed that my mom and dad’s conversation is getting too repetitive as my dad told my mom that their tennis schedule was on the third Wednesday of the next month at 8 pm. Then I heard mom asking the time and day again. My dad sighed as my mom said, “Oh, okay, I get it.” I never knew that thingswould escalate quickly from there.
Start: Alzheimer’s
That particular Wednesday came, and I got off school early at that time. When I got home, I saw my dad anxious as my mom sits on the couch while his feet were on top of the table. I abruptly asked, “Isn’t it today that your tennis was scheduled?” My dad suddenly straightened up and said, “Oh, honey, we forgot.” My dad’s reply was confusing as I was sure that he never misses out on scheduled activities. I just let go of it, but my mom then asked, “We have a tennis schedule?” So I was, “yeah, mom. You and dad talked about it weeks ago”. She was like, “We talked about it?” while staring at my dad. At that point, I was too tired to make a conversation with them, so I went to my room not knowing that something could come up eventually.
Alzheimer’s Disease: My Mom
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease And Devastation
Alois Alzheimer is credited for compiling the first published clinical trial of Alzheimer’s disease. For the next few weeks, my siblings and I busied ourselves with school activities, and we seldom saw our mom at the house. Every time we share dishes, dad would tell us that mom was not feeling well and needed to rest to dine with us. We didn’t ask much about it and continued on with our daily routine. However, this one time, I skipped school and decided to spend my day in the house. As I was preparing food, I saw my mom in the kitchen. I asked her, “What’s for dinner?’ and she suddenly screamed at me. Like a dozen times,
she was going crazy, asking and shouting, “Who are you?!”
The dreaded disease called Alzheimer’s kicked-in in that instance.
Alzheimer Disease
How Alzheimer’s Disease Impacts Us
I was so terrified that my mom acted frustrated enough to push me out of the house. I didn’t know that she has Alzheimer’s Disease so I called my dad and told him everything. I stayed outside until he got home. And when my dad was about to enter the gate, my mom threw stuff at him. He was like, “it’s me, it’s me,” But my mom’s condition made her go hysterically crazy. My dad grabbed her arms and instructed us to get some piece of cloth that I could tie her hands with. I wasn’t sure about what my dad was trying to do, but I went and got one anyway.
it was making my mom a different, uncontented person. My dad managed to control her rage, and he began crying.
“Honey, it’s me.” He was so sad, and his voice sounded so shaky that I began to ask, “What’s happening?” My mom looked so frightened and then all of a sudden she started crying. I was so confused. Then my mom asked us while crying her heart out, “Who are you, people?” Then that just struck me. I was now positive that something was wrong, and I looked at my dad, and he said, “Your mom is gradually losing her memory. She has Alzheimer’s disease. She wouldn’t be able to remember us”.
There is no treatment plan that cures Alzheimer’s disease or alters the disease process in the brain’s nerve cells. In the advanced stages of the disease, complications from severe loss of brain function — such as dehydration, malnutrition or infection — result in death.
Alzheimer’s
Emotional/Mental Dilemma
Hearing about this disease called Alzheimer’s was shocking. My dad told me that my mom had Alzheimer’s disease which was currently in the late stage of Alzheimer’s and might eventually die. I couldn’t bear to hear additional information regarding the disease because the thought of my mom not remembering her family because of Alzheimer’s disease is more devastating and heartbreaking. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of severe dementia that is a progressive disease, memory loss or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to brain changes is the most common dementia like symptoms in the early stage. A person living with mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease will typically start to experience symptoms that interfere with daily life. Some of these symptoms are temporarily slow. While moderate dementia cases have symptoms that are more pronounced.
As the disease progresses in daily living, other symptoms appear. The most common cause of dementia or Alzheimer’s is the abnormal build-up of proteins called beta-amyloid which forms plaques and tangles in and around the brain cells. The greatest known risk factor of Alzheimer’s is age, the risk goes up as you get older. However, a number of lifestyle risk factors for Alzheimer’s can be modified. As I look at my mom, I can see her fears and worries about having to sit in front of two people she doesn’t recognize with her hands tied up.
Mom Suffers From Alzheimer’s
I then slowly moved away as I try to hold back my tears.
And when I got into my room, I cried it all out. I couldn’t imagine life with my mom having Alzheimer’s and not knowing who I was. Accepting Alzheimer’s disease was so emotionally disorienting that I couldn’t think straight. The emotional disorder crawled up to me, and I knew from that day on, I would have to endure the disheartening fact that my mom would never be able to remember me as her Alzheimer’s worsens.
People experiencing dementia like symptoms or Alzheimer’s also experience behavior changes and personality changes and memory problems. By the final stage of Alzheimer’s, the damage is widespread and brain tissue has shrunk significantly. It’s important they participate in support groups like the Alzheimer’s Association.
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s: Final thoughts And Takeaways
I can dish that my mom’s Alzheimer’s disorder makes her feel all the dismissible emotions. But I can’t dismiss it. I can’t handle Alzheimer’s too. This disease was so disheartening as my mom’s Alzheimer’s disease progresses. I wish my family could find enough courage to deal with this Alzheimer’s disease situation.
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