Let me be candid about events in our life that may be useful for many. It is about MENTAL ILLNESS. In particular early onset of Alzheimers! I will omit dates, location and names to protect the privacy of family members!
I come from a large family of eight including my parents and lived in a small town in northern California, USA. We were an inquisitive bunch who wanted to know about our grandparents. What child does not ask questions about family! We were no different!
I will begin with the illness of an uncle, my mother's brother. He began with difficulty in walking! Back problems, the doctors would say. He was 41 when this problem began. Many medical visits over a course of years that finally resulted in an Alzheimers diagnosis. My uncle's condition became progressively worse, even having personality changes such as aggression! His wife patiently cared for him as long as she could, then placed him in a convalescent hospital. She visited him every day. He died at 49 years of age. During the course of his illness, my sister investigated into the death of our grandfather who died in our hometown. His death was never discussed!
You see, there was a shame that beclouded any conversation about my grandfather. He died in a mental hospital in our hometown. Mother would never talk about it! But now, it was important! Grandfather had shown the same characteristics of this phantom illneness!
In the early days treatment of mental illness was rather crude! Lock them up and medicate them. Shock treatment was the quick fix! My mother would later tell us that he would say he was mistreated, but no one listened! Part of his illness? Who can say! His death certificate would reveal cerebral dementia, not exactly in those words but similar! He also died in his forties.
At forty years of age, a cousin began showing the same symptoms of Alzheimers. He progressively became ill with dementia and personality changes. It continued for years and was placed in a convalescent hospital! Again, his mother visited every day, taking his laundry home to wash and return the next day! Yes, she was wife to the uncle mentioned above and now was caring for her son.
He died in his late forties!
By now the family has accepted the fact that this is genetic! Through a search of our family history, we found that two additional cousins as well as an aunt, has died. All in their forties! Currently a cousin (not in this country) is showing the same Alzheimer symptoms as well as another here nearer to home! It is disturbing to us to have this menacing illness in our midst.
In 2005, we lost our elderly mother in death. She lived a long life with no symptoms of Alzheimers until one year before she died. The doctor's classified it as dementia. It was NOT an early onset of this illness. For that we are grateful! Her cognition would come and go. She never lost the ability to recognize her children. She did periodically forget what day it was and would cry uncontrollably. We feel she dodged the bullet! She was directly related to all persons mentioned in this story
Of course, it is of concern to us...this menacing illness. We realize the Alzheimers is not the only disease to fear. Other mental illnesses can invade the family...we have prepared ourselves! As a family, we trust that ALL diseases and sicknesses will be wiped out. Revelation 21:3,4. This is not a fantasy! It will happen! This hope sustains us while we cope with any death dealing diagnosis coming our way!
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