At this stage of fragile existence I thankfully find myself still able to recollect and comprehend realities around me.
Well, more often than not, anyway.
Yet the terrifying possibility of one day being unaware of the life lived (and whether it mattered) awaits many of us.
Losing connection with everyone I've known is a worse fate than death. In effect it is experiencing death while still existing in a dense fog.
Many reading today understand all too well, having had beloved family members suffer from tragic horrors of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Like most of you older than 50, I realize the early winter stage of life brings with it the inevitability of physical parts reaching their warranty expiration dates. Merely surviving in a state of endless confusion certainly is a fate far worse than remaining aware until my body fails. Such disease wreaks havoc and heartbreak in the lives of those who watch their friend or loved one sliding away one memory at a time.
My beloved Uncle Ken, 88, and his bride of 65 years, Bobbie, are living that nightmare today.
Relocated from their once spacious home in suburban Memphis, they live today in assisted living, her with a memory now all but erased. He, ironically, still clings to "precious memories" of their first meeting and a lifetime together to give meaning to his life.
The connection they have has endured far beyond most of today's relationships. "We still love each other just as we always have. Today she mainly knows me as the man she lives with and loves rather than her Ken. Everything we shared across all these years has been lost to her, but not me. How I love and need those precious memories in this moment."
I feel certain many reading today share similar stories with their own families, loved ones and friends.
Razorback coach and athletic director Frank Broyles became an aggressive spokesperson against Alzheimer's after his wife Barbara was diagnosed with the disease. He even wrote a handbook called Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers. He ended up surviving Barbara only to succumb himself to the insidious disease.
In compiling his work, Broyles advised those caring for Alzheimer's patients and dementia to treasure every day to its fullest. "Cherish the time you spend together and, perhaps most important, love each other. I hope you find peace in knowing that it is still possible to live and love when someone you love is living with Alzheimer's disease."
Thankfully, there are recent advancements in very early detection that can forecast our chances to wind up in such a state.
Freelance writer and author Paula Spencer Scott, in an April article for Parade Magazine, quoted Harvard neurologist Reisa A. Sperling saying, "Alzheimer's is finally joining the list of diseases we can have an early effect on," comparing it to heart disease or diabetes, which are treated preventively with lifestyle fixes and targeted medications, and to cancer, for which there are routine screenings.
"The idea of treating Alzheimer's 'upstream,' long before we fail to recognize family or forget what a phone is, was sparked by the ability to finally see and track the biomarkers showing early brain changes," Scott wrote.
Weill Cornell Medicine's Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic in New York City, where Scott was voluntarily tested, uses a three-pronged method to assess one's risk of contracting the disease., she wrote.
Body measurements called anthropometrics "represent the A in what the clinic calls the 'ABCs of Alzheimer's prevention.' The B stands for blood biomarkers. Blood tests reveal nutritional, lipid, metabolic, inflammatory and genetic markers of possible problems--everything from my cholesterol numbers to whether I have one of the genes linked to Alzheimer's risk. And C stands for cognition (thinking skills), measured by 1½ hours of those brain tests."
Scott said she came away impressed by how many little things we do today can add up to possibly contracting the disease in older age. A Lancet report in 2017, she wrote, found that as many as a third of dementia cases can be delayed or prevented.
Some unexpected questions clinicians asked her to determine risk included:
What was your high school rank? "Being an early achiever actually helps protect against Alzheimer's, new research shows."
How big is your waist? "If it's dramatically bigger than it was in your 20s--that raises your risk of Alzheimer's."
Do you dream? "Dreamers are good sleepers. Getting a good night's sleep helps prevent Alzheimer's."
Do you love music? "There's growing research on the brain benefits of music. Listening is great but playing it or singing is even more beneficial.
One's diet, body fat and degree of rest also can matter when it comes to avoiding Alzheimer's, the researchers found. Other than getting eight hours of sleep nightly, a diet that regularly features almonds, blueberries, avocados, broccoli, dark leafy greens, dark chocolate, eggs, grass-fed beef, wild salmon and extra virgin olive oil comes strongly recommended.
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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist. Email him at [email protected].
Editorial on 10/21/2018