"See
Me, Hear Me, Work With Me: Partnering With People With
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias" -- Speeches
from the 24th National Alzheimer Society Conference,
Calgary, AB, April 18-20, 2002
Speech
by Anne Harker (page 1)
My
name is Anne Harker, I am 50 years old and this is MY
STORY.
My
journey began with the concern of a dear friend.
One
night she candidly said, "I think you might have
Alzheimer's disease. " This was a very brave thing
for her to say.
We
had been playing the same card game for years, so the
moves were almost automatic; I knew them by rote.
Gradually
I began to make more and more mistakes. And finally I
got to the point where she would correct me up to 20
times in an evening.
She
also noted my poor co-ordination and clumsiness making
a cup of tea or washing dishes. This was scary.
My
mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at age 50;
considering the disease can be hereditary, I agreed with
her suspicions.
Subsequently,
I made an appointment with my doctor. His first response
was NO, he didn't think it was Alzheimer's disease.
He
had treated me for stress, as had my previous physician.
I had struggled for 15 years as a single mother with
demanding children and a stressful job. Is it any wonder
they treated me for stress? That was a tough row to hoe.
While
I respected the doctor's opinion, I felt my friend was
correct so I wouldn't take no for an answer. I wanted
further testing.
Over
and above the card game there were other signs:
- Losing
keys and my wallet constantly, then when finding the
keys, not knowing which lock they were for.
- I
set off the burglar alarm off at my office on a regular
basis, as well as denting my car three times over a
short period while trying to park. This showed me that
something was definitely wrong.
- Writing
and making phone calls had become difficult, as was
co-ordinating appointments with my clients. I was either
forgetting the appointment or arriving late.
- And
filling in time sheets was a nightmare. SUCH FRUSTRATION!
Speech continued...
|
