Aislinn Noone Professor Epps Still Alice Alzheimer’s Prompt 25 January 2016 Early Onset of Alzheimer’s In Still Alice, the main character has memory impairments at the age of fifty. There were a few minor symptoms that were just thought to be because of being overworked and fatigue, but in retrospect point to her disease. For example, forgetting which word to use during a presentation. The recollection was a complete blank. Because of her fairly young age, Alzheimer’s disease was not considered a possibility. Alice believed that it had something to do with her going through menopause, but then she got her menstrual period and decided to go see a neurologist. When Alice did go to the doctor to see what was going on and was diagnosed, it caught …show more content…
More than what modern science can explain presently. A person’s identity cannot simply be recreated with a combination of cells. Of course, there are psychological aspects of a person’s personality that is affected by external and biological factors, but it is much more individualistic than that. It is a set of experiences, reactions, and personal beliefs that shapes a person’s identity. To an extent, Alzheimer’s does alter a person’s identity because it rips away memories. Those memories is what helps forms a person’s identity. When those are all of sudden erased, it is going to change how that individual believes who they are. Because the disease is so deteriorating, they will eventually loose all of their memories, including how to even function on a daily basis. What they used to believe, like, and dislike is eradicated. This does not mean that they do not matter, but that they are mentally incapacitated because of this atrocious disease. This is where faith for the patient and loved ones can be helpful. That believing in something bigger than oneself that gives hope: that there is more than the physical world and physical body. Even though the mind is being torn inside and out, there is a hope for an afterlife. Faith does not require an intact memory and functioning hippocampal neurons. I would like to believe in a good and just God that understands the sinful and unhealthy world we currently live in. That being said, the some mentally ill people gain a sense of believing in something bigger than themselves. This may be because it is used as a defense mechanism to deal with the fact that it is easier to believe in a greater plan for the afterlife that would be free of pain and illness. The tricky part of Alzheimer’s is that it causes memory and overall functioning impairment. It depends heavily on a person’s epistemological view of how they believe what they
Bessie is an 87 year old woman showing various signs of being in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. To start, her psychological functioning is disrupted as she exhibits the following signs. When giving the memory test, numerous questions were asked to test her cognitive ability. As the mental status questionnaire began she was first asked what month, date, and season it was. According to Bessie, it was August 5th and summer, however it was later referenced she had the memory test during the month of May, here we see her confused with time. Bessie also experienced memory loss when asked to name the president of the United States before President Bush although given a clue, pondering, she responded she could possibly see his face but had no recollection of who he was. Amazingly she was able to recall her name, her dog’s name, had the ability to drive although drifting at times, and lived independently. This confirms although her cognitive functioning was declining it was not all lost. Oddly,
Prior to diagnosis the individual may show signs of forgetfulness due to an incline in memory functions. They may even show signs of a decline in reasoning and communication
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. “Anosognosia effects 81% of those with Alzheimer’s disease” (Stevenson 1) and it may worsen as Alzheimer’s progresses. The first symptom of Alzheimers’s is often difficulty remembering new information. Although, as it progresses the symptoms become more severe and could lead to confusion, disorientation, changes in mood, and suspicions of family, friends and caregivers. “I have found that women with Alzheimer’s disease, especially those who have outlived their husbands, tend to misidentify a daughter” (Feinberg 34). Emma, an eighty year old patient of Feinberg’s, claims to have two daughters named Betty. One of them being the “real Betty” and the other being the “assistant” Betty. Emma’s Alzheimer’s has progressed to the point where she is excessively confused and can’t comprehend she has a disease. She therefore has anosognosia. Not all cases of Alzheimer’s are as bizarre as Emma’s situation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not equally as
In this Chapter, we discussed the six pillars of Alzheimer’s prevention. Throughout the week, the great leader has built these “pillars” to help us understand and comprehend the greatness of preventing Alzheimer’s in the distant future.
“I can remember it like yesterday. August 2nd, 1903, Lawrence Exeter Jr. was introduced into the world. On that day my name was changed to Lawrence Exeter Sr. It kind of made me feel old, now that I had my first child, and that my name was changed to Senior. Either way it was the best day of my life. Lawrence Jr. was 7lbs, 4oz., and the best 100 dollars I’ve spent my money on. Well, the hospital bill, of course. I couldn’t believe I was finally a dad. Another great memory was 18 years later in October of 21, I was enrolling my son for college. I helped him move into his dorm at Stanford University. Man, those 18 years flew by so quick I thought to myself, I can’t believe he grew up so fast. I know how everyone talks about enjoying your childhood,
In chapter 15 I found the part on Alzheimer’s disease very informative and interesting. Alzheimer’s and dementia are diseases that I find great interest in. My paternal grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he was just over the age of 60. He proceeded to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s induced dementia, and then he later passed away from the disease. My maternal grandfather suffered from a severe stroke about 4 years ago, and is now suffering from stroke induced dementia. Seeing anyone who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia of some sort is very sad. I work in an assisted living facility and we have a specialized facility of people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Working with these people on a daily basis
A more common but still relatively rare disorder, early onset Alzheimer’s is portrayed in Still Alice through interactions with Alice’s family and her eventual decline in functionality. Alice was a professor who taught at Columbia University and the first symptom she shows is the losing of her train of thought while
Life is a precious gift—life is not about the gifts we are given, but how we put those gifts to use. Do you take your life for granted, or does it take a disease like Alzheimer’s for you to realize what your life is about? It’s mind-boggling of how something like Alzheimer’s changes a person’s entire life. However, with the support of loved ones, friends and co-workers, it is possible for one to remain themselves, live with the disease, realize they are a new person, but the disease does not define them.
Most of the time we tend to ignore ourselves ignoring what it is important for our health because we focus more in those who depend on us. In the video “The New Face of Alzheimer’s,” Robert Lipsyte ask Mary Ann Becklenberg, if she could write to herself a letter what would she write to herself and I like what she respond “be gentle with yourself, lower your expectations of yourself, built your spirit, give credit to yourself and take care of yourself.” I realize that I tend to ignore myself because I worry more about my family needs than my. I take time to reconnect with myself to learn what I need, what I have done wrong that could affect my health or just be calm. I tend ignore what is important for my health such as sleeping, eating healthy,
She welcomes anyone who comes into view yet stands near her husband. She develops small talk with her close knit family, the people she recognizes. Extended relatives and a few measly encounters do not form a new bond in her mind. She repeats stories, she repeats sentences and she repeats questions. She poses for a picture with her sister, lifts up the bottom crease of her sweater and pulls out a bright pink scarf to swing over her neck. She illustrates a world of imagination and fun through the playful pose. She represents a disease of heartbreak and loss. The woman shows early signs of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a merciless disease in the family that killed her brother and is grabbing hold of the rest of her siblings.
The movie The Notebook is the love story of Noah and Ally, an elderly couple, who is living out the rest of their days in a retirement home. Though Noah’s health doesn’t necessarily require the need of this retirement home, he chooses to stay there anyway so he can be close to his love, Ally all of the time. Each day Noah reads to Ally out of his journal a story of two young lovers. However, this story is the story of Noah and Ally when they first met and fell in love. Noah reads out of this journal in hopes that it will trigger something in Ally’s memory and she will remember him again.
“Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception.” (Howard Crystal) In Health 1000 we were asked to read the book Still Alice. I have never dealt with or have done any study on Alzheimer’s disease before reading this book. After finishing this book it has really opened my eyes to how bad of a disease and how it cripples the mind. I never imagined the effect of this disease on a patient and the patient family. This book is about a upper middle aged lady named Alice who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and how she and her family learn how to deal with disease. One of the things this book
Have you ever forgotten names of places and objects like forgetting conversations and events that just happened ? If so, you might suffer from Alzheimer's, also known as AD. AD is an irreversible progressive brain disorder. One of the major effects of AD is that, it slowly abolishes the memory and the ability to remember the closest events. In addition, patients will not be able to remember their names sometimes. In most people, symptoms of AD do not emerge in the early stages. They appear in the mid-sixties. ‘‘Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults .’’[1] When we get older, our brains change, just like our bodies.
Alzheimer 's disease is a condition that affects the cognitive status of many people around the world regardless of wealth, ethnicity, intelligence or any other factor. A specific case study that demonstrates the destructive nature of the disease can be seen in the case of Akram. Akram was an 80-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, diverticulitis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and diabetes. Her history did include a serious head injury at the age of 45 from an automobile accident, but she recovered well after some time in the hospital. As she aged, she could remember childhood friends and family from 20+ years ago quite well. What tripped her up were simple daily processes of life. She might put food in the oven to cook, but fail to turn it on after doing all the prep work. Also, she began to frequently misplace her keys and have trouble remembering where she put household items. She had been a very intelligent person with a lot of energy and had previously been involved in a lot of volunteer projects she helped run. Upon talking to her husband, it was learned that she had been having similar difficulties over the past two years. Driving was a big issue as well; she felt she could recall how, but still had trouble operating her vehicle. She also frequently got lost on routine trips, like to the grocery store. Additionally, she would forget whether she had eaten and had several extra meals in a day unless a helper or a family member was keeping
Alzheimer’s disease is incurable, but there are many stages, warning signs, and risk factors that can serve as detection devices for those who have older adults in their lives. One of the most common early signs of this form of dementia is memory loss. While it is normal for people to occasionally forget things, such as appointments and names, people with Alzheimer’s tend to forget these things more often and are not able to recall them even after a period of time. Other signs that signify a possible case of Alzheimer’s is difficulty performing familiar tasks (cooking, brushing teeth), problems with language (using odd words, failing to remember correct words), disorientation (forgetting where one lives, not knowing how he got to a certain place), problems with abstract thinking (forgetting what numbers represent), misplacing items (putting a hair brush in the freezer), moodiness, personality changes (confusion, suspicion, fearfulness), and loss of initiative