Glen Campbell diagnosed with Alzheimer's

[lowend1]

Sigh - All this bad news is wearing me out.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/06/22/country-starglen-campbell-diagnosed-with-alzheimers/

[uwe]

Unless they find a cure, it's going to hit a lot more people from the baby boomer generations - including people here on the forum. We just had a celebrity case here in Germany where a former playboy millionaire and art supporter (Gunter Sachs, one-time boyfirend of Brigitte Bardot) shot himself when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer and it began impeding his speech. A couple of years ago there was a great Candian Film on the subject featuring Julie Christie as an attractive sixty-something with the Alzheimer curtain being drawn down on her mind. Olympia Dukakis played in it too.

[Dave W]

Sad to hear about Glen.

As life expectancy increases, Alzheimer's is bound to increase. As medical science finds out more, maybe there will be ways to help prevent it or delay its onset.  I'm pessimistic about anything approaching a cure being found.

[Chaser001]

I'm sure there are people here who have already heard about this, but recently there has been info that's come out indicating that being fluent in a foreign language can delay Alzheimer's.  I'm considering trying to gain as much fluency as possible in a foreign language for this very purpose.  I've never had any relatives with Alzheimer's.  However, I'd rather be on the safe side.  I've learned some Spanish and Portuguese through the years.  But as time went by, I began to realize it was unlikely I'd ever be traveling to Latin America.  Also, I've never had any reason to go to Spain or Portugal.  I traveled to visit friends in Holland twice.  I did learn some Dutch.  But it's becoming unlikely that I'll go back there.  The language I'd probably be most interested in is German.  However, German is really difficult; so I've got to think carefully about that.  There are all those declensions to memorize.  Mark Twain said it best when he wrote of the American student in Heidelberg who said he'd rather decline two drinks than one German adjective.  Of course, there will be some "catch" to any language a person wants to learn.  That's why it's been said that "no language is learned without tears." 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/18/scitech/main20033422.shtml

[Thornton Davis]

I heard this news earlier this morning, very sad. I didn't realize that Glen is 75 years old though. Just imagine not being able to remember or recognize any of the great music you created and gave to the world during your lifetime.

TD

[Highlander]

The Alzheimer Lineman will be taking one last tour so I hear...

[godofthunder]

My Mom showed signs at 55 she was gone by 65. After what she went through and the family went through I do believe if I were diagnosed I would end it.

[lowend1]

My Mom showed signs at 55 she was gone by 65. After what she went through and the family went through I do believe if I were diagnosed I would end it.

My mom had dementia as well, although they stopped short of calling it Alzheimer's. Doesn't really matter - because the end effects are the same. She was diagnosed in her mid-80s and passed away last year at 89. After 65 years together, my dad has had a bumpy ride - but I think it would have been far worse for him if it was a sudden thing. At least he had some time to try and come to terms with it and prepare.

[lowend1]

http://surfdog.com/glencampbellshow/index.html

[rahock]

My Mom showed signs at 55 she was gone by 65. After what she went through and the family went through I do believe if I were diagnosed I would end it.

My mother showed signs  even younger than that but made it to 80. It's a tough one to deal with. My mother and I were never close, but after she died I found a journal in her house where she wrote everything she could remember when she was having a good day.  Things like where she was born , who her friends and family were, things she liked and disliked etc. During her bad days, she would refer to her journal to find out who she was. Pretty sad actually . Aware enough to know how screwed up you are, so you take precautions to try and cover yourself because you know it's getting worse and you think that if you leave yourself a note or two it may bring you back like a trail of breadcrumbs for your mind.
Rick

[Pilgrim]

My mother showed signs  even younger than that but made it to 80. It's a tough one to deal with. My mother and I were never close, but after she died I found a journal in her house where she wrote everything she could remember when she was having a good day.  Things like where she was born , who her friends and family were, things she liked and disliked etc. During her bad days, she would refer to her journal to find out who she was. Pretty sad actually . Aware enough to know how screwed up you are, so you take precautions to try and cover yourself because you know it's getting worse and you think that if you leave yourself a note or two it may bring you back like a trail of breadcrumbs for your mind.
Rick

My Mom did a lot of crossword puzzles, trying to exercise her mind - her body was pretty frail for her last few years.  She passed away at age 86 in 2008.  Her dementia was advancing, and she had about a 5-minute window left in which she could remember things.  We felt grateful that her body gave out before her mind completely did.  I think it's noble and praiseworthy to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" and do whatever you can to maintain touch with the world.

[Lightyear]

One of my dad's eight siblings died of it at 88.  Dad has one remaining brother that is 91 with no signs of it and my dad is a few months shy of 90 and doing pretty good.  Scary thing is that my dad's surviving brother lost his daughter at age 59 to it - she had been in a nursing facility for several years before she lost her battle.  I'm not really liking my odds at this point ut I'm not going to dwell on it.

[Freuds_Cat]

Sad to hear about Glen.

I'm pessimistic about anything approaching a cure being found.

I work in a Pathology and Research institute. This kind of discussion has come up here (my workplace) before. The guys and gurls here tell me that a lot of research facilities actually know ways of combating and stabilising the advancement of Alzheimers. The problem is that they dont completely understand what causes it (depending who you talk to) and that implementing the knowlege they have has various legal issues depending on where in the country/world you are. Regardless, there is documented evidence of successful treatment using these methods.

[godofthunder]

On a brighter note I'm adopted 

[Chaser001]

Something as simple as coffee might help.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110621/ARTICLE/110629891/2055/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg