Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Thursday, November 08, 2007

As I mentioned earlier, my father is in his eighties. In fact, next month he will be turning eighty-two years old. He was born back in 1925 during the depression. He was a marine and he fought during WWII in the Pacific campaign. He signed up right after Pearl Harbor was hit. He wasn't even eighteen yet. My grandmother had to sign for him to be allowed to go into the military at the age of seventeen. He is in good health, and he does work forty hours a week as a security guard. He wakes up every morning at 3:15 and works from 5am to 1pm. I don't know how he manages to do it, but I know if he wasn't working, he'd go insane sitting around the house all day.

I know though that even with him being in good health, he isn't as sharp as he used to be. He's more tired. He gets more easily stressed, and he even forgets things. The month of November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. It is important as one gets older to have regular memory screenings. November 13th is National Screening Day, and it would be a good idea to take your elderly loved ones in for a screening. You can check the site above for some tips on successfully aging as well. Alzeimer's can be caught early, but as of now there is no cure. That can change in the future. Every time I see my own father falter and forget something, I worry about him. My grandmother lived well into her hundreds with a good clear mind. I'm hoping the same happens with my dad.

Hopefully someday we can find a cure for this disease. Research is being done, and there is support out there for those suffering from this disease and their families. This support is important because it may be years before a cure is found. If you want to help those in need, you can make a simple holiday gift. I just look at my own dad, and I see how important it is to cherish every moment. As much as I hate to think about it, someday my own father might suffer from this horrible disease, and it is good to know that there is help for him and us if that happens. My mother passed on over twelve years ago, and I still think about her often. I know I'm quite fortunate to have my father alive and in the health he is in today. We might not have the perfect relationship, but at the end of the day he is my dad and I love him. That is what counts.