Let’s start the conversation that more and more people are finally starting to have. November is National Alzheimer’s Disease and Awareness Month, and as someone who has been affected by Alzheimer’s, I’m here to tell you it will be okay.
Alzheimer’s sucks. There is nothing okay about a disease that attacks a brain, chipping away at memories piece by piece. There is nothing okay with Alzheimer’s being the sixth leading cause of death in America, and there is nothing okay with it being a disease that cannot be cured, slowed or stopped. But it is okay that there are people who care -- people who are here for you, and people who will fight alongside you every step of the way. Whether you have the disease, are caring for someone who has it, or know someone who has lost the battle to it, you are not alone.
Two years ago, I founded a club on UNCW’s campus called the Forget Me Nots. We raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease and give a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves. I founded this in honor of my grandfather, who was diagnosed when I was in high school. My relationship with him means the world to me, and I had been struggling with how to cope with it. Instead of just watching his memory deteriorate, I decided to start an organization where college students could share their stories and make a difference. During my first meeting this year, I asked people to go around in a circle and say why they were there. Ninety percent of the people in the room were personally affected by this tragic disease.
Everyone has their way of coping. Maybe it’s talking to them on the phone every day or going to visit them all the time. Maybe it’s raising money, or maybe it’s just spreading awareness. It could be writing in a journal or venting to friends. I’ve been lucky enough to have a grandpa who still knows my name, who I am, and remembers me as a child. I am prepared for the day where that may not happen anymore, but I am cherishing every moment I have left with my grandpa.
Watching someone go through it is harder than words can ever describe. It’s like watching someone jump out of a plane with no parachute, desperately trying to grasp onto all of their memories and loved ones. It’s unbearable to watch them forget names, places, and people they’ve known forever. It’s heartbreaking to hear stories about them forgetting to add ingredients to their signature recipes and having meltdowns because they can’t remember. It’s tragic to watch someone you love fall down this hole, and not be able to get them out.
I’ve accepted that I’m probably going to lose my one of my grandfathers to Alzheimer’s. But I’m lucky enough to know him and create memories with him that, even though they may not remember, I will always cherish. And you will too. You are lucky to have loved someone with Alzheimer’s. You are blessed to know the person -- not just the disease.
