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Going a Marathon Distance in the Fight Against Alzheimer’s

The Longest Day 53 Responses »

Jun 212011

My name is Irene Hammer-McLaughlin. My dad Russ (his real name is Shelton, so you can see why he went by Russ!) died of vascular dementia in January 2005. In October that same year, my mom Stella (we won’t even go into her real name) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Today I’m running for four hours as part of the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day™ because I want to honor my parents, my sister who serves as my mother’s primary caregiver, and all the other families I’ve had the privilege of working with at the Alzheimer’s Association.

One of the smartest things I did for myself and my family was become an Association employee. I have a wonderfully supportive husband and daughter, but still there were times when dealing with mother’s and father’s illnesses that I felt very alone. I didn’t know of many 30-somethings whose parents had forms of dementia. Fortunately, I found an amazing community at the Alzheimer’s Association. This organization has taught me to make lemonade out of lemons, and I will be forever grateful.

I’m starting my run in Hopkinton, Mass., and running (more like wogging – walking and jogging) along the Boston Marathon course from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

You may ask why someone would want to run a solo marathon. (Quite frankly, right now, I’m asking myself that same question!) Well, I wanted to participate in an activity that shows my commitment to going the distance in the fight against Alzheimer’s. It’s not going to be easy to beat this disease. It’s going to take a lot of minds, money and mobilization to make it happen. But, I have no doubt that, together, we can do it.

So, right now I’m going it alone, but I am hoping that next year, during the longest day of the year, there will be others out there right alongside me, going the distance to beat Alzheimer’s.

Wish me luck!

Irene Hammer-McLaughlin is a major gifts officer with the Alzheimer’s Association. She enjoys running with her husband Mike and biking with her 12-year-old Sarah. She has completed two Ironman events and several marathons. She is participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day™, a sunrise-to-sunset relay supporting those affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Post Run Update
Okay, four hours and shower later, I can reflect on my 22 mile run. No, it wasn’t a full marathon, but you know what? Attempting to run a marathon overweight and untrained is an awful lot like having to be an Alzheimer’s caregiver. No one can tell you what it’s going to be like for you. You have to experience it for yourself. Inevitably, there will be some unexpected obstacles to deal with. (Perhaps not the dead skunk or the Mack truck, but there’s probably a metaphorical equivalent.) And, sometimes, even when you make a solid plan, things can go a little awry (like the fact that my water support person underestimated my speed, so I without water for 8 miles). Nevertheless, you find the humor, you get through it, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

In all seriousness, I’m glad I chose to participate in this challenging effort. Alzheimer’s is tough, and it’s going to take a lot of tough people to eliminate it. I’m honored that I can play a small part, and I hope that after today others will take up the baton, as well.

The Sun Rises on The Longest Day

The Longest Day 20 Responses »

Jun 212011

My grandfather is living with Alzheimer’s disease. My stepfather, Morley, serves as a paid caregiver and companion to a man with Alzheimer’s disease, Roy. Today, I am walking for three hours as part of the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day™ in honor of these men — Poppy, Morley and Roy — and also my grandmother, Granny Bea, who is Poppy’s caregiver.

As I got up bright and early this morning (just before the crack of dawn) to start walking at sunrise, these men were not far from my mind. What were they doing? And what was my grandmother doing?

See, Granny Bea is Poppy’s wife of more than 70 years. And in all those years, Alzheimer’s is the only thing that has ever separated them. When my grandfather’s needs became too much for my grandmother to handle alone a few years back, he moved to a facility. But that has not stopped her from remaining his primary caregiver.

Granny Bea wakes up early so she can be there when Poppy awakens. So she, too, needs to ‘pre-empt’ the sunrise. During the very early hours, she tends to her own needs and then takes the short bus ride to his facility to be there when his day begins. By the time she arrives at to his place, she has already showered, eaten, checked her schedule and his, and arranged for her transportation. That’s when most of us would take a break. But not Granny Bea.

She rides the shuttle carrying things that might make Poppy’s day a little more familiar. And when I say “familiar,” I mean familiar to her, because not much is familiar to him anymore. Poppy has the most decorated room of anyone in the facility — full of family pictures, just as their home together used to be. When my grandmother arrives, Poppy is usually still sleeping. So she collects his dirty laundry and separates it for the laundry service. When he awakens, she will make sure he is dressed in something clean and respectable, tend to his hygiene and get him to breakfast.

Some afternoons they will dance. She will hold him close (and sometimes hold him up) while music from the 1920s plays on the radio. Granny Bea says that dance steps are something Poppy never forgets. He may not know her name or even remember who she is, but when they dance, it’s like Alzheimer’s disease never entered their lives.

When Poppy is tired, Granny Bea will dance with other residents. Not to the same slow dances she saves for Poppy—but sometimes she will Charleston or Twist or dance Hip Hop —anything to bring a smile to the faces of Poppy’s neighbors.

The rest of the day goes much the same. She maintains his personal dignity and her sense of partnership, love and family. Then she goes back to her apartment less than a mile in distance but almost a lifetime away.

Walking these three hours will be a challenge for me, as I have not tended to my own physical fitness much in the past nine years of bearing and raising children, but I know the endurance I have shown this morning is nothing compared to the dedication and commitment shown by Granny Bea and Poppy in their fight against Alzheimer’s. I hope we can end this disease before my children have to live with it or through it. And I hope that if I am called into service as a primary caregiver for someone living with this disease, I will also be strong enough to go the distance like my grandmother.

View photos from The Longest Day.

Julie Sipchen works as a product manager in Safety Services at the Alzheimer’s Association. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Chicago, where they are active in their community and in dance, softball, skating and T-ball.

The Longest Day Is Still Ahead – but I’m Up for the Challenge

The Longest Day 7 Responses »

Jun 172011

On June 21, the longest day of the calendar year, I’m proud to be participating in a new event: the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day^TM, a sunrise-to-sunset relay supporting those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Along with my co-workers at the national office in Chicago and our public policy office in D.C., we’ll run, bike, walk and complete other endurance activities to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

Living with Alzheimer’s disease or caring for someone who has it requires love, patience, endurance and strength – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I know because I’ve worked for the Alzheimer’s Association for three years. And while I do not have a family connection to the disease, I can say that I have a personal one.

In my day-to-day responsibilities as a writer, I interview families who are facing Alzheimer’s. And after we work together, I consider these individuals to be friends. I feel a strong personal responsibility to represent their experiences accurately in website articles, brochures and magazines published by the Association. But I never feel as though I can depict the true courage they display on a daily basis. It’s indescribable.

On June 21, I plan to walk and run (for three hours!) along the National Mall in D.C. to honor those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. I know that the struggle of those facing Alzheimer’s is ongoing, and I want to help. It’s the least I can do.

If you’d like to get involved in the Longest Day, please follow our activities on June 21 by checking this blog regularly for updates. You’ll hear from my co-workers who will be getting active in a variety of ways for the cause—and you can donate to support their efforts.

Brett Armstrong works in communications at the national office of the Alzheimer’s Association. She enjoys reading as many books as possible and running alongside her four-legged family member, Millie.

A Potential Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Disease

Diagnosing Alzheimer's 2 Responses »

Jun 102011

Blood test for Alzheimer's? Oxidation and free radical damage are natural occurrences as our bodies are subjected to toxins and stressors from everything we encounter throughout our lifespan. When oxidation occurs, our bodies respond in the best way they know how: they reach for protective resources from within our cells to combat the damage and maintain our health. If these resources are unavailable, inflammation will occur. The processes of oxidation, free radical production and cell damage are thought to be involved in cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and even aging itself. Inflammation is also known to be part of many disorders as well.

In a recent study* published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers induced oxidation in blood samples from Alzheimer’s patients and found that it was lower in a natural steroid called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as compared to healthy people. DHEA is a hormone produced naturally in the adrenal glands. The body then converts it into the hormones estrogen and testosterone. DHEA helps the brain work and protects it from damage. Interestingly, the level of DHEA in the body peaks between ages 20 and 30 and then decreases progressively with age. This difference in DHEA levels observed in the present study between Alzheimer’s patients and healthy people means that a simple blood test could potentially be used to help diagnose the disease.

In blood taken from healthy people, oxidation led to a 53 percent increase in DHEA. However, when the test was repeated on blood from people with Alzheimer’s, there was a much smaller increase in DHEA — around 14 percent for people with mild Alzheimer’s and just 4 percent for severe Alzheimer’s.

The researchers hypothesize that in people with Alzheimer’s, the brain has used up the chemicals needed to produce DHEA in an effort to protect the brain. So, when treated in a lab, blood from healthy people can produce more DHEA, but not blood from Alzheimer’s patients.

It’s not clear yet exactly how reliable the test would be in practice. The differences in DHEA between healthy people and those with the early stages of Alzheimer’s may not be big enough for the test to accurately identify Alzheimer’s until the more advanced stages, which would limit its usefulness.

There also were signs that the test could give different results for men and women, although it is difficult to say with the relatively small number of people in the study. The study looked at just 86 people.

This study raises the possibility of a new simple blood test for Alzheimer’s that could be used alongside the current methods of diagnosis, which include a medical history, neuroimaging and tests of memory. Certainly, the results of this study will need to be validated on a larger sample of subjects, but the findings are quite encouraging.

* G. Rammouz, L. Lecanu, P. Aisen, V.Papadopoulos, A Lead Study on Oxidative Stress-Mediated Dehydroepiandrosterone Formation in Serum: The Biochemical Basis for a Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, May 4th, 2011.

Michael S. Rafii, M.D., Ph.D.

Director, Memory Disorders Clinic
Associate Medical Core Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study
University of California San Diego

This post originally appeared in Alzheimer’s Insights, an ADCS Blog.

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