By Larry L. Hamilton KAREN STOBBE asked me to write about my experience with Alzheimer’s Disease with the idea that I might be able to help newcomers to the disease “get prepared” for what comes next. People who have known me for a long time know that I love to talk, and probably some of them tried to warn Karen….. Too late kid. I’ve got the hammer and I’m putting it down! I did promise Karen and my wonderful wife, Miriam Freeman, I would not use profanities – no matter how appropriate they are for describing my new pal ALZ. Here goes. I was diagnosed with having somehow foolishly acquired the disease in January 2016. I had read a lot about it. I met it face to face when one of my favorite cousins, Helen Chambers, of Rockmart, GA (my birthplace, too) was nearing her last months. It ain’t pretty. She was a wonderful devout, humble Christian woman. The disease is not contagious, I didn’t catch it from her. It was just sort of a “family tradition” that someone would carry it on. She became a role model for me. It took awhile for me to find a way that I could carry on as positively as I could. She died NOT of ALZ, but of Natural Causes. That is my goal, too – In Your Face, ALZ! I am 73, nearly 74. My wife and I have been zealot fitness runners for about 40 years. We arrived in Asheville from SC about 10 years ago. We live on a beautiful mountain in N. A’ville. We run on the mountains daily. Read this next sentence at least twice! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! ALZ is very tricky and subtle, with a sick, sick sense of humor. It will gleefully try to convince you that you should “rest” and avoid “stress” because YOU are SICK with a killer DISEASE, with no KNOWN CURE AS YET. That is an ALZ “cover” for trying to murder you as soon as possible. Other folks, including most of the medical people who are trying to save/prolong our lives, often fall into the “trap” of saying “You get some rest now, you hear?”ALZ is delighted if you just accept it literally. But, it is a mistake. Medical professionals also preach, loudly, that staying physically active is the #1 requirement for keeping healthy. Common sense should prevail. Pay attention to your Doc. Stay as healthy as you can by exercising regularly, by whatever means you can, for as long as you can. Hot soup is still one of the few tools that will make you feel a little better almost instantly. Clearly, the rate of increase in ALZ and related diseases is threatening to overwhelm both institutional and At Home caregivers. I want to try and explain what has worked for me, so far, in attempting to maintain the best quality of life as reasonably possible, for me and our family. #1. If you already are at a healthy…
