July 9, 2000 — In the fall of 1998, Barbara and Les Dennis sat at the table in their Chicago home, deep in the throes of retirement planning. Barbara had printed out a spreadsheet showing their sources of income as well as the bills they’d have to pay. Les, a college professor in his early 60s, studied it and then tossed it back on the table. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he told her. Figuring that Les’ poor brain was scanned for signs of a stroke. Finally, he took a battery of cognitive tests that gave him the diagnosis he dreaded: early Alzheimer’s.
Just a few years ago, most of the estimated 4 million Americans with assisted living center? Most of her patients also find strength and solace in support groups. “In the past, by the time you had the diagnosis you were so impaired it would be unlikely you could benefit from a support group,” she says. “Now, with early detection, people are really able to participate.”
It’s important to keep in mind, Weintraub says, that research into Alzheimer’s is progressing rapidly. “Although Alzheimer’s is not curable now, it is treatable.” And while the average lifespan of a patient with Alzheimer’s is eight years, some can live for up to 20 years with the disease — possibly long enough to benefit from new drugs.
In addition to several drugs, scientists are also experimenting with an Alzheimer’s “vaccine” that would forestall the disease by reducing levels of an abnormal protein, amyloid, which is higher in people with Alzheimer’s. “It wouldn’t surprise me if in the next five years there would be therapies that would really slow the progression of the disease,” says Salmon.
For Les and Barbara Dennis, the early diagnosis forced them to consider the end of their lives and gave them the opportunity to shape their time as best they can. “We have been able to have fun, knowing that it may not last a long time,” says Barbara. “We’ve been able to share feelings and heartfelt desires about dying with dignity. We’ve been able to explain to the older grandchildren that there’s something wrong with Papa’s brain, and so if he doesn’t understand when you ask him something, slow down and ask again.”
“At first,” Les says, “I was wondering all the time, ‘How many days is it going to be?’ But the greatest single thing to remember is that you can have a fairly decent life for a fair amount of time. Early testing lets you have that.”
Gina Shaw is a Washington-based freelance writer who writes frequently about health and medicine.