I am very excited about a new law that just went into effect in Maryland. It is basically an Amber Alert for people with Alzheimer’s, senile dementia, or other problems that affect their memory. According to the Cecil Whig, legislators and proponents of the law are hoping that this ability to quickly alert people that a cognitively impaired person has wandered off will save them from the fate of people like Robert Abramowicz, who tragically was not found until long after he left his house and perished in the woods.
When a Silver Alert is put into action, the Maryland State Police force is able to immediately spring into action instead of waiting the typical 48 hours to begin missing persons searches. They can use highway signs and television stations to broadcast important details about the person, which alerts the public to be on the lookout and can use K-9 bloodhound units and other resources to try to quickly locate and recover the Alzheimer’s or senile dementia victim.
If this system works to save even one person from a terrifying and lonely death in the middle of the woods, it will be well worthwhile. I hope other states without a Silver Alert system will follow suit and the system will become a country wide network like the successful Amber Alert system.
I’ve had a really bad run in with Lyme Disease and am still having some issues that are probably a result of some sort of Post Lyme Syndrome. (Vitamin D level of 13 despite taking multivitamins and gardening=major pain.) Anyway, because of the Lyme, I decided to watch Under Our Skin, a film by Andy Abrahams Wilson. One fascinating tidbit I found in the movie?
A researcher has discovered that seven out of ten samples taken from people who died from Alzheimer’s had Lyme DNA in them. Seven out of ten! He talked about the way Syphilis attacks the brain and how Lyme has some scary similarities. Some doctors and scientists think Lyme is the cause for several diseases with no known cause, including Parkinson’s, MS and, of course, Alzheimer’s.
Would it be worth it to ask your loved one’s doctor to test for Lyme? I’d say it couldn’t hurt, although at the point where it would turn into Alzheimer’s, it would be insanely hard to treat.
Have you heard about the correlation between Lyme and Alzheimer’s before?
If you have an American Express card, please vote for the Alzheimer Association project, which is looking for funding for early diagnosis. It is really exciting to see that the Alzheimer’s project made it into the top 25, but now we need to win the funding! If you don’t have a card and you know someone who does, please pass the message on. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s early means that the patient may be able to take drugs to slow the disease’s progress.
Imagine getting ten more years of quality life because a doctor diagnosed Alzheimer’s instead of blowing off symptoms as simple old age. I really can’t emphasize the importance of early detection enough and it will only take about ten minutes if you haven’t already signed up to vote before. If you have signed up, it will be an even quicker process and it doesn’t even cost you anything!
You don’t need an American Express account to do this. Just sign up as a guest:
Nominate the ‘Alzheimer’s Disease: Early Detection Matters‘ project to receive $1.5 million in funding from American Express. The project’s goal is to spread awareness so those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their loved ones can connect with a support network as soon as possible.
It’s really easy to do and we only have until September 1st, so please take the time to visit and vote!
I received this letter from the Alzheimer’s Association. They encouraged me to send it on to my friends and family and I thought posting it on the blog would reach more people:
Dear Friend,
According to our recently released 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease in their lifetime.
Kindred Healthcare a generous corporate partner of the Alzheimer’s Association is responding to this shocking statistic by offering an exceptional matching gift challenge opportunity for good friends such as you.
Simply put, Kindred Healthcare will match all gifts sent to the Alzheimer’s Association by June 30, up to $250,000!
Please don’t miss out on this opportunity to fund twice as much Alzheimer research, care, advocacy and awareness. Your generosity is key if we’re to defeat this devastating disease. Thank you again for your support.
Sincerely,
Angela Geiger
Vice President
P.S. Please don’t miss this opportunity to make an urgently needed gift that will go twice as far in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Send your most generous contribution before our Matching Gift Challenge ends June 30, 2008. Thanks again!
My doctor told me when I was a child that drinking soda would make me grow up to be a shaky old lady, so I cut back to one can a week. Now, I’m glad I did. A new study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows a link between drinking sugary things and Alzheimer’s.
In addition, the sugar-fed mice also had worse learning ability and memory retention and their brains gained more than twice as much of amyloid plague deposits, which are believed to cause Alzheimer’s in humans.
The amount of sugar the mice used is equivalent to about 5 cans of soda per day for humans.
If you enjoy mixed media art and would like to support Alzheimer’s research, please bid on the lovely Cherished Memories Fat Book created by artists who were touched in some way by Alzheimer’s disease. It is up on eBay right now. 100% of the proceeds go directly to Alzheimer’s research.
The Alzheimer’s Association sent me a notice about a new Hallmark movie that will be airing Sunday. Sounds like something anyone who deals with Alzheimer’s would like to watch:
On Sunday, Dec. 2, Hallmark Hall of Fame’s “Pictures of Hollis Woods,” featuring an Alzheimer storyline and starring Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek, airs on CBS. The Alzheimer’s Association worked closely with Hallmark to ensure Spacek’s depiction of someone living with Alzheimer’s was portrayed in an accurate manner. Hallmark will include a brief announcement at the end of the movie directing people to the Association for more information about the disease. Check your local listings for air times and tune in.
The Guardian talks about a study that shows that eating omega-3 oils can reduce the chance of getting Alzheimer’s by 60%. I do believe I’m going to run out and plant a walnut tree! (We had one for 15 years at the house I grew up in and those black walnuts are tough to crack without a hideous mess, but they are good to eat and the shells make a great black dye.)
Eating a diet rich in omega-3 oils such as rapeseed, flaxseed and walnut oil could reduce the risk of suffering Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia by 60%, according to a study of more than 8,000 people.
The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, also found that eating fruit and vegetables daily and fish at least once a week seems to protect against cognitive decline.
Fox reported that a vaccine has been developed that can slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. This is exciting news, especially since human testing of the vaccine may start in just a few years:
Scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City have developed a vaccine they hope can slow down or even prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Researcher Jordan Tang says the results so far are “extremely exciting” and show more testing is needed.
The experimental vaccine is designed to stimulate the body’s own immune system to help it fight dementia in the brain.
Researchers say human testing could begin in three to four years.
