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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-01-30, Page 16Crossroads 16 Times -Advocate Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Battling Alzheimer's disease with a positive attitude By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HURON PARK — "One of the most important ways to deal with it is to accept it, recognize it and roll with it. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Enjoy your life." That's how Huron Park's Jim O'Dell describes his battle with Alzheimer's disease, which he was diagnosed with six years ago at the age of 69. Still in the early stages of the disease, Jim hasn't let Alzheimer's get in the way of enjoying life with his wife, Beverley. As was evident in an interview with the Times -Advocate last week, Jim has kept a great sense of humour through it all and always makes sure to keep busy. And while he suffers from short- term memory loss, his long-term mem- ory is still strong and he says he's still able to do basically everything he wants, including driving. "He has an incredible sense of humour. That is a wonderful thing," says Huron County Alzheimer Society public education co-ordinator Maggie Brennan. January is Alzheimer Awareness Month and the Alzheimer Society has been educating the public on how to reduce the risk of getting the disease. The annual Walk for Memories fundraiser was held throughout the county on the weekend, including in Exeter at South Huron District High School. While diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2002, Jim probably had the disease for a number of years prior to that. He and Beverley were married in 1995, and a few years later she says she noticed he started forgetting things and she'd have to jog his memory. After convincing Jim to go to a doctor's appointment, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's after a visit with a special- ist. Asked how the family reacted to Jim's diagnosis, Beverley says, "Everybody panicked, I think." Beverley says she became overprotec- tive of Jim but she has since learned to back off. Jim, whose father also had Alzheimer's disease, keeps himself busy and enjoys bird watching and painting and is looking forward to get- ting his horseshoe pit set up when the weather gets warmer. "I have no problem keeping busy," he says, adding one of the tools that keeps his brain active is a computer game called "Bookworm Deluxe," which he Battling Alzheimer's — Jim O'Dell of Huron Park, seen above with his wife Beverley, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002.A new resident of the area, Jim is looking to start an Alzheimer's discussion group. (photo/Scott Nixon) can spend hours a day playing. "I'm addicted to it," he says. "It stim- ulates your mind like crazy." Jim, who moved to Huron Park from Cambridge in November with Beverley, says what has also been helpful to him was an Alzheimer support group in Cambridge. "I found out I'm not alone in this world," he says, adding the other members of the group were like family to him. While the Alzheimer Society in Huron hasn't had the client base to hold such discussion groups here, Jim would like to get a local group going. He said people with Alzheimer's are "part of a brotherhood" and he thinks there are enough people in the area to start a group. In the meetings he attended in Cambridge, Jim said the members would joke with each other about their memory difficulties, but they'd also discuss their problems. "It was like talking to your best friend in confidence." Another tool Jim credits for helping him cope with his disease is a book called "The Memory Cure" by Majid Fotuhi, which he refers to as his "Bible." Of his wife, Jim says, "She has the patience of Job, and I test it all the time." Brennan says one thing that helps those with Alzheimer's is to be around upbeat, positive people. She adds depression can often accompany the early stages of Alzheimer's and can be treated by medication. Jim says he is on medication for depression and adds, "I'm always stay- ing busy. If I don't, I get bored and I get depressed." For his Alzheimer's disease, Jim is on a drug called Aricept, a drug that, according to information provided by the Alzheimer Society, can "help preserve the ability of damaged nerve endings to transmit messages from one nerve cell to anoth- er." Other medications for those with mild to moderate symptoms are Exelon and Reminyl, which like Aricept are known as "cholinesterase inhibitors." For more severe cases, Ebixa can be prescribed. Jim has bad days, but not too many, he says. The worst times for him are when he first gets up in the morning, but then he "pulls out of it." He says the bad days are when the depression kicks in, but he doesn't think he's suf- fered from any depression since he and Beverley moved into their home in Huron Park, which they both love. "I've never been so happy," he says. Jim says it's hard for many Alzheimer's sufferers to admit they have the disease and that they need help. He says it was hard for him at first, but he felt he owed it to himself and his wife to seek help. "There's nothing wrong with getting checked out," he says. "You have noth- ing to lose." Beverley adds that the earlier you get diagnosed and are put on medication, the better off you are. She says it's usually the partner who recognizes there's a problem. Brennan credits Jim for having a great attitude towards his disease. "There's no point crying over it," he says. "That doesn't help." But he admits, "It's easy to look back. It's hard to look forward into the unknown." Despite Jim's disease, Beverley says she and Jim haven't really changed their lives. "We still do the same things. I try to keep a peaceful home and try to keep Jim happy." Brennan says in her experience it is rare for someone with Alzheimer's dis- ease to be doing as well as Jim is six years after a diagnosis. "He is doing exceptionally well," she says, adding she thinks his acceptance, openness and determination are fac- tors in his favour. Anyone interested in joining Jim in an Alzheimer's discussion group can call the Huron County Alzheimer Society at 1-800-561-5012. Facts, tips and information from the Alzheimer Society • A press release from the Alzheimer Society states, "Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and degenerative brain disease that destroys memory, reasoning, orientation in time and place, along with other cognitive functions. As the disease pro- gresses, it affects personality, mood, behaviour and activities of daily living. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. "In Alzheimer's disease, multitudes of dense, irregular microscopic spots or plaques develop all through the brain, and thread-like tangles appear within the brain cells. "The toxic effects of these changes cause nerve cells to die, especially those involved in memory and cognition." • Risk factors include age, genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors. • The disease eventually affects all parts of a person's life, including how they think, feel, act and react to their environment. • There is no known cure for Alzheimer's dis- ease. • The disease can strike adults at any age, but most commonly in people over 65. • Women account for over two thirds of those over 65 with Alzheimer's. • About 450,000 Canadians over 65 have Alzheimer's disease, while 36 per cent of Canadians know someone with the disease and 17 per cent of Canadians have someone in their fami- ly with Alzheimer's. • While there is no known way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, there are things people can do that may help reduce the risk, such as staying socially and mentally active, adopting a healthy lifestyle and protecting the head from injury. These types of activities can help improve the quality of life for people who already have Alzheimer's and might slow its progression. • Many people living with Alzheimer's continue to have active and meaningful lives long after diagnosis. • Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for about 64 per cent of all dementias in Canada. Other related diseases include Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Lewy Body Disease. • Unless a cure is found, the number of people with Alzheimer's or a related disease will double within the next generation, costing Canadians bil- lions of dollars each year. • In the next 25 years, Alzheimer's and related diseases may prove to have the highest economic, social and health cost burden of all diseases in Canada. • The Alzheimer Society suggests you make healthy food choices, stay active, include meaning- ful social activities in your life, keep your brain active and reduce the stress in your life.