With nearly 7million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer ’ s disease , there has been alot of discussion about the best ways to serve elderly parents suffering from the condition . But my family ’ s experiences have made me think long and hard about what will happen to me when and if I find myself living as my father did — until recently . Forthe first 85 years ofhis life , my father had aserious case of joie de vivre . He loved making sunny affirmations like “ Clean livin ’!” every time he nabbed aparking spot , and stood by the motto “ There ’ snosuch thing as bad candy .” His spirit animal was achimp .
My dad ’ stales of learning to fly on the sly , and the winking way heteased my no-nonsense mother — he never did buy that luxury Catamaran he claimed was in storage — taught me to be on the lookout for fun in everyday experiences , and once I ’ dfound it , to spread it around . My dad showed me how I wanted to live .
Then , at about 86 , he started repeating the same antic stories , over and over . He forgot his home security code , and the man who ’ d taught me how to drive had an unprecedented series of
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Aprofessional photo of Hank Schweich taken in 1983 while an executive at Cerro Copper Products
fender benders . Hehad less fun , and more frustration . My mother took him to aneuropsychiatrist for testing , and the results indicated that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer ’ s .
His journey from diagnosis to death this past December , from missing a birthday toforgetting how to use astraw , took five painful years . But as his illness advanced , he taught me another important lesson : How Idon ’ t want todie .
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FROM HAPPY WARRIOR TO HAPLESS PRISONER
Ifelt helpless witnessing my dad ’ s devolution from happy warrior to hapless prisoner , trapped in afailing body that kept him alive well after his mind could find pleasure inanything . But watching his long goodbye also filled me with dread : Alzheimer ’ sruns inmy father ’ s family , and the risk of developing it increases with age . I ’ m 67 , sohis recent past could be my not-that-distant future .
While some people withAlzheimer ’ s seem to be , inthe words of ageriatrician friend of mine ,“ pleasantly demented ,” generally going with the flow and enjoying simple pleasures like visits from grandchildren , for many others , confusion leads to irritability and acting out — not just in unfamiliar circumstances orwhen their hygiene isbeing attended to , but when they ’ re trying to perform routine activities like getting ready to leave the house , or finding items on the drugstore shelf . My father was one of those .
AHarvard Law grad and the former CEO of aprivately held company , he ’ d spent his career as aself-starter always searching for new projects . Ashis executive function diminished and he grew increasingly dependent on his helpmate
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PROVIDED BY CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER |
28 2024 EDITION ( 201 ) HEALTH |