My Daughter Has Alzheimer’s Disease

“Mom, I have Alzheimer’s, and I want to say goodbye to you because I won’t be able to do that any time soon.” That’s what Mari said to her mother after finding out she had this disease at just 48 years old. Alzheimer’s disease has always been a disease associated with old age. But you see it more and more in young people these days.

Alzheimer’s is an incurable brain disease that causes cognitive decline and a decline in certain brain functions. The main consequences are amnesia which causes forgetfulness. So much so that, as the disease progresses, patients no longer even recognize their own family. Who is most prone to it? People over 65.

Years ago, we assumed that children would only be affected by this disease if it were their parents. But the roles have been reversed. Now a lot of parents have to take care of their children who have Alzheimer’s disease.

Early Alzheimer’s takes lives

Jason was a young, vibrant, and hard-working 36-year-old American. After only a year, he was forced to write notes on his hand to remember things, he couldn’t keep up with his diary. One day he even got lost on his way home. And during the winter of 2012, he was unable to put up the Christmas lights in his house.

He was very confused. He began to doubt everything, so he decided to see a psychologist, who referred him to a neuropsychologist. After a lot of investigations, the diagnosis was clear. Jason had Alzheimer’s disease at age 36. His life was short; he passed away in 2013.

The cases of Jason and Mari are not rare. Early Alzheimer’s takes the lives of many young people who have just started a family. People who are only at the starting point to reach their goals. The illness comes as they look to the future with hope, dreaming about what they will experience.

But  this disease starts with transient forgetfulness and ‘normal’ memory problems. These could be warning signs of a disease with no apparent cause.

Another important question about Alzheimer’s disease relates to its origin. There is some controversy as to what causes it, as not many people get it because of their genes and family history. However, it is something to keep in mind. Alzheimer’s disease can also be related to a traumatic event, whether physical or psychological, or to type-2 diabetes.

Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

“I couldn’t remember what I was looking for.” ‘I forget things quickly’. “When people asked me why I did the same thing twice, I was so ashamed that I locked myself in the bathroom and cried.” That’s how 54-year-old university professor Carmen García describes her experience with this disease.

The early warning signs can be very subtle. So much so that we might ignore them. But they deserve attention because they can indicate the onset of an early version of this disease. What should we pay attention to?

• Forgetting recently learned information and needing more and more help to remember things (dates, situations, etc.)

• Difficulty concentrating, solving problems and things that used to take much less time
• Problems driving or paying bills
• Disorientation, be it time or location
• Problems using words. Not being able to find a synonym or say the word
• Lack of initiative and mood swings

Many parents are overwhelmed when they discover that their child has this disease. Every time they think about it, they can do nothing but cry. Alzheimer’s is a very complicated disease and there is still no solution or cure. Previously only older generations had to deal with it, but now unfortunately also young people.