Harry Potter’s got it right. In fact, everyone should have a cloak. But if you have Alzheimer’s, relax. You’re one step ahead! You’ve already got one. People with Alzheimer’s come equipped with the ability to be invisible to all but the initiated. I can certainly spot one…but then, I’m already on the inside. I see the nervous glances when a word or phrase eludes me. I wince when it becomes clear that I just repeated myself. The land-mines are everywhere, and once you’re a confirmed case, there is just no turning back. The expectation is a self-fulfilling prophecy. And by and large, the prophecy is doom.
Hi! I’m from the Alzheimer’s Association and I’m here to help.
NOT.
This organization is ineffective at best. Of course it is under-funded, but then again most non-profits are. I tried to get some information at the national level. Hello! Anybody home? I would love to have the responsibility for the marketing communications for the national organization. Real people, doing real things---situations that baffle and frustrate, u-tube videos by medical and psychological experts, “average Joe” testimonials and just plain straight out information and conversation with those of us who are in the thick of it. We don’t need a memory walk. We need a here and now movement to focus on the disease: the research, the drugs, the funding, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the will to tackle this baffling, frightening, frustrating, and eventually yielding puzzle , the solution to which will give us a major step forward in the overall quest for breakthroughs in brain science and beyond.
PS: I do not expect to live to see the day when this malady becomes a distant memory, but you never know!
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