Why was he forgetting things? What’s going on? He is getting older but is this just ‘old age’? The small signs were there but we couldn’t foretell what the ravages Alzheimer’s disease would do to my father about two decades ago. Every day and every week would bring new changes that only brought confusion to us before the diagnosis and the understanding of what was in store. Was it a good day or is it getting worse became the daily question.
About twenty years ago one of my father’s doctors identified his condition as Alzheimer’s disease. We now had a name to tag this to but there was still confusion and unanswered questions. Back then it seemed that the few times that the name of Alzheimer’s would come up were by rude insensitive comedians. Now one by one you would read an obituary of a well known personality and the request for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association would be listed. So now we became a member of an exclusive community, an expanding family that only when you became a member of it did you fully understand what it entailed. Some very close relatives were blind to the conditions and would not acknowledge its existence. Tears were kept in abeyance in others. You could see they wanted to help but were powerless. They knew less than we did but their concern was real and heartfelt. In this time as the disease progressed I would now see my father in a hospital bed at home, a once strong man weakened. I also saw my mother tending to his every need, even when he didn’t recognize his wife of over 40 years. Marriage vows were not just words held lightly. As a family, my mother, sister, brother-in-law, niece and I knew what a 36 hour day was first hand.
Reports in newspapers would announce new tests and drugs and trials and hopes. And in these years I have been following every news article hoping that the new drug would become the panacea. Will genetic testing be allowed and how definite is it that this disease is transmitted genetically and how much is by lifestyle and diet? I knew I needed to lose weight and start exercising again. A 30 minute walk became a run which has now evolved into a marathon. Two years ago I participated in the Baltimore Half Marathon raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Last year I became eligible to run the NYC marathon but due to various muscle injuries I needed to postpone my running. At one of the long training runs in Central Park I saw a group of runners in purple shirts, smiling, stretching and with a great amount of camaraderie. As I proceeded to the corral for the race to begin I saw the Run 2 Remember team and I knew I had to be a part of that community. It made my marathon postponement decision feel right. I now had more time to train injury free and at the same time aware friends and family that I would be running for the Alzheimer’s Association once again.
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