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Alzheimer's: A devastating diagnosis for patients and loved ones.

Do you know someone who suffers with Alzheimer's disease? Or someone who is a caregiver to a loved one with this devastating disease? If so, you understand the heartache associated with an Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Who are we without our memories of past experiences? For most of us, the though of losing our memories to Alzheimer's disease is horrifying. But there is much more to Alzheimer's than memory loss.

From Rocks In My Dryer - What I'd Like You To Know: Alzheimer's...

A lot of people mistakenly think of Alzheimer’s as “loss of memory” and leave it at that. Unfortunately, the disease progresses beyond the memory. The victim regresses verbally, mentally and physically to the state of an infant. Eventually, complications end their life. That’s the sugar-coated picture. Each person’s journey through the disease process is different, usually taking years to reach its inevitable and tragic end.

There is no cure. Nothing can prevent it. Nothing can stop it once it starts. There are drugs on the market that can slow down the progression, postponing the inevitable, drawing the entire process out longer than it would otherwise take.

There is no treatment. There is no surgery. There is no prevention. There is no cure. Nobody recovers. Nobody goes into remission. Nobody!

. . .

Here are a few things you should know about Alzheimer’s Disease:
• It is the 6th leading cause of adult death in the United States.
• Someone develops Alzheimer’s every 71 seconds.
• Approximately 5.2 million people in the United States currently live with Alzheimer’s.
• Hereditary Alzheimer’s Disease can develop in persons as young as 30 years old.
• More women develop Alzheimer’s than men.
• By age 65 years, you have a 1 in 10 chance of getting Alzheimer’s.
• By age 80 years, that chance goes up to 50/50.

From Karen at Midlife's a Trip - What You Don't Know About Alzheimer's...

For years what I knew about Alzheimer’s could fit on the head of a pin. I didn’t really understand how this disease ravages a brain. I even remember joking about Alzheimer’s and using the phrase “a little touch of Al” to describe a moment of forgetfulness. But now with a mother and best friend afflicted with this dreadful degenerative disease, there’s little room to be flip and uninformed.

From Dr. Ann Louise - If Someone I Loved Had Alzheimer's...

Someone develops Alzheimer’s disease (AD) every 70 seconds. Already more than 5 million Americans live with this memory-destroying disease—frustrating for them, tragic for those who love them.

A slow, progressive brain disease, Alzheimer’s impairs language, perception, planning skills, and reasoning as well as memory. Forgetting where you put your glasses doesn’t mean you have AD, but not realizing that you wear glasses does!

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease doubles every 20 years. Women are more likely to develop AD—and not just because they outlive men. Recent studies suggest that estrogen contributes to this disease.

From Amanada - Get Involved! November is "National Alzheimer's Awareness Month" and "National Caregivers Month" ...

Did you know Alzheimer's is known as the "family disease" because it so deeply affects a patient's entire family? It's true. In fact, 87% of all Alzheimer's caregivers are family members: children, spouses, or even grandchildren and brothers or sisters of the patient. Did you know that, in 2008 alone, there were 9.9 million Americans that acted as caregivers to an Alz patient, providing a combined total of 8.5 billion hours of care? These numbers alone allude to the serious nature of caregiving and the intense connection that family members have to their Alz relative.

But sometimes, even though we know how important it is to raise awareness or support a cause, we don't quite know how to get involved. This is especially true if we're already busy with other health communities and causes. So, to make it easier for you to get involved I compiled a list of really simple, quick ways to get involved with Alzheimer's this month and encourage those in your health communities to do the same. You don't have to be personally tied to Alzheimer's to use your Health Activist skills to help the cause.

HBO's The Alzheimer's Project...

One of the most devastating forms of memory loss is Alzheimer's disease, an irreversible and progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Today, Alzheimer's is the second most-feared illness in America, following cancer, and may affect as many as five million Americans. As the baby-boom generation moves through retirement, that number could soar to more than 11 million by 2040, and have a huge economic impact on America's already fragile healthcare system.

While there is no cure for the disease, THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT shows there is now genuine reason to be optimistic about the future.

From the Alzheimer's Association -10 Signs of Alzheimer's...

Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer's, a fatal brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor. Learn how Alzheimer's affects the brain and take the Brain Tour.

How is Alzheimer's Diagnosed?

At the present time an autopsy is the only test that can confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. The autopsy will show the typical signs of cerebral shrinkage and destruction of brain cells.

Alzheimer’s disease is therefore often diagnosed by a process of elimination. Your family doctor, or specialist neurologist or gerontologist, and their multidisciplinary teams include information from such things as:

• A thorough medical history of the patient and their family history.
• An assessment of the person’s mental and physical state.
• Psychological assessment and testing.
• A neurological examination and assessment.
• Lab tests and brain scans.

Once a diagnosis is made it has it is usually 80% to 90% accurate. An autopsy is the only way in which the diagnosis can be confirmed.

Also See:

• Alzheimer's and Dementia Growing Rapidly
• From Lynn's Weigh - Alzheimer's, Beauty and Tuesday Afternoon
• Can Olive Oil Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?
• Alzheimer's and Caregiving: A Daughter's Story of Love
• From Minding Our Elders - Alzheimer's Video a Powerful Reminder For Compassion.
• Alzheimer's Disease Resources

November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Has Alzheimer's touched your life? How so? Please share with us in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope