Alzheimer's news night after night.

[CoolBreeze]

As we have one of the oldest populations in the nation, the media will soon be doing little more than stories night after night on missing Alzheimer's patients. At some point the local cable public access channel may have to show around the clock descriptions of these people. Hell... maybe even a national "The Alzheimer's Channel" may become reality television at it's best.

While I'm not actually making fun of these people, (had a few in my family already) at the rate the TV news covers these missing Alzheimer's patients, it will be "All Alzheimer's all the time news".

Did ya notice that more men seem to disappear than women? A friend of mine has Alzheimer's. Some days are good for him, some bad. I told him on one of his good days that as long as he knew left from right.... all he needed was a GPS in his car to find his way home.

[The Interpreter]

You'd feel far differently if your family were directly adversely affected by this menacing, terrible disease.

I see nothing commendable in your post.

In fact, I find it highly offensive.

Apparently, you greatly overestimate the coverage of this disease. You see, I follow it closely.

I lost my father to it, and he his mother (my grandmother).

It IS often hereditary.

It is not preventable nor even treatable at this point.

Although it is frequently said we are near a breakthrough, it seems to always be just out of reach.

My father was part of experimental trials to delay onset...it didn't work.

Not "actually" making fun of Alzheimer's Disease, you say? "These people"? "(had a few in my family already)"? Just how is this different than referring to minorities as "those people," and claiming one is not a bigot because "I know blacks and have one as a friend," for example? Answer: It isn't.

My father only roamed once. My stepmother was terrified. Fortunately, the local police found him nearly at once, and returned him to my stepmom.

I find nothing good in your post.

Thanks for making what was probably going to be a very good day for me a bit less so.

Shame on you.

[CoolBreeze]

My mom had it for the last 5 years of her life, as did my grandmother. One of my best friends has it now. So dont start with that "directly affected" crap.

Facts are facts, and Alzheimer's has been around since the beginning of time. being "feeble minded" or going back to your second childhood is what they used to call it before science put their label on it. It's a person simply reversing course (in many cases) and literally becoming a baby again, including diapers.

I think the person who suffers most is the family, and not the Alzheimer's patient in most cases.

So my statement stands, with the amount of people about to go missing over the next 15 years (baby boomers) it's going to be a nonstop search on the news.

[Cameron]

What fascinates me is they can map the double-helix and are starting "pinpoint" research on treatments and prevention.
Someone with a bible in tow will be around soon now that medicine is targeting genetic re-writes.

[just saying]

CoolBreeze is right on this topic. Just look at what he said about Prince Harry & his wife to be Kate Middleton. (24 / 7 news about them ) Alzheimer's disease is horrific and very sad to say the least. I went to the Greenbrier clinic with my girlfriend to visit her grand-paw. She said to him "hi gramps, do you know who i am?" He said NO, He had no clue. It was so sad. I had to leave the room. CoolBreeze only picks topics he knows about.

[Greg Goodfellow]

From Cameron: "Someone with a bible in tow will be around soon now that medicine is targeting genetic re-writes."

Honestly, Cameron, I don't think most Christians have a problem with this. ANYTHING that can ward off future pain and heartache is to be welcomed.

Now, if cloning is perfected, and mass numbers of Jerry Lewis's are created, I would have a problem...unless they're all sent to France.

[CoolBreeze]

Alzheimer's disease is horrific and very sad to say the least.

See... I don't think it's all that bad for the patient. It IS for everyone else however. Alzheimer's patients are not aware of anything wrong, if it's full blown Alzheimer's.

[The Interpreter]

Not necessarily so. My father had full blown Alzheimer's, as the autopsy proved. He was very aware from time to time that something was terribly wrong, and it bothered him immensely. That awareness came and went from time to time. Most of the stereotypes about Alzheimer's are not completely accurate.

[Bob Campbell]

My dad has it. Sometimes he knows he has it, sometimes he doesn't.
The reason you see so much coverage is...well... hell...they forget.

[CoolBreeze]

Today as I posted that last comment, I had a physician sitting beside me who deals with this issue often. She agrees with me on one thing: that the affliction seems to bother the relatives more than the patient. Oh sure, we all get upset when we start forgetting things, but as the disease progresses, that issue becomes less and less.

However, we're getting off track. I think you will see a huge increase in missing people over the next 10 years, and it will be an every day news blip.

[Jay Nunley]

Which is why Senator Manchin implemented the "silver alert" system in WV and proposed it nationwide.

[fearpeddler]

the breeze is just callin it like he sees it, personally I'd rather see those stories than all the "poor animal" stories...... losing your mind and physically losing your life are 2 totally different things..... like how theres tv and radio versus what station managers call tv and radio here in this market..... I lost a few relatives too, they had the disease, but the doc told me when my grandma died, it didnt kill her, her old age and other health problems did....