A caregiver’s journey through Alzheimers
“My husband was diagnosed with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s Disease in November 2009. On December 1, 2010, he forgot I was his wife.”
Linda Earnest had been married to Claude Ray Earnest for 26 years at that time.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia and is the sixth leading cause of adult deaths in the United States. In 2013, five million Americans had the disease. That number is projected to triple by 2050.
There is no specific cause for the disease pinpointed at this time. About seventy percent of scientists believe it is genetic. There are cases where a history of head injury, depression, or hypertension is believed to be responsible. In talking about the possible cause of her husband’s contracting Alzheimers, Earnest said, “Ray and I actually discussed his symptoms. His dad had been diagnosed with Alzheimers, but died from complications of several strokes. We also laid part of the blame on stress. He had a really tough time emotionally as he watched his dad struggle.”
There is no treatment to cure or reverse Alzheimers. There are some medicines available today which may slow the progress or temporarily relieve the symptoms. The life expectancy for those diagnosed with the disease generally ranges from three to nine years.
“Ray was diagnosed in November 2009 and I lost him in September 2013. Just short of four years,” said Earnest.
Alzheimers is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that starts slowly and continually worsens. The most common early symptom is short term memory loss. The National Institute on Aging lists other symptoms, such as getting lost, repeating questions, losing or placing things in odd places, and displaying mood and personality changes.
“I had noticed some minor forgetfulness but the first thing that truly hit home was Ray getting lost while we were on a trip to Oklahoma. We went to the doctor on our return home. He was diagnosed then,” said Earnest.
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