Our Mothers' Long Goodbye

By Trish Vradenburg and Congresswoman Annie Kuster On this Mother's Day, we honor our mothers, who suffered from a deadly and currently untreatable disease: Alzheimer's. Trish Vradenburg (TV): My Mother was larger than life. She embraced life with style and grace and passion. She could capture a room just by entering it. Congresswoman Annie Kuster (AK): My Mother was fiercely passionate, and she taught me to care about the issues that really matter -- protecting our environment, looking out for those who need help and treating everyone equally. As a New Hampshire Senator, she was a pioneer for women in

Still Kicking at 88

If Alzheimer's were cured, people would simply age, rather than disappear into the unforgiving vortex of the disease. There are many octogenarians and nonagenarians who age as nature meant them to. Take for example: Warren Buffet, 83, who is called the "Sage of Omaha" and is noted for his adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality -- probably because he recently was demoted to the third richest person in the world. Or Betty White, 90, the vibrant comedian known for her expert timing and for never going down on a line. Or Fidel Castro, 88, who

Making the Holidays Bright When Alzheimer's Is in the Picture

Editor's note: this piece originally appeared on The Huffington Post The one constant about life is that it is always changing. This dynamic is particularly acute around the holidays. USAgainstAlzheimer's recently asked some of our supporters, who are on the front lines and live this disease every day, for advice on how to tackle this challenging time and create new memories. Here's what they told us: 1. "Keep your expectations reasonable. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Holidays won't ever be the way they used to be and every year will be different. But that doesn't mean

You Can Shut Down the Government, But You Can't Shut Down Alzheimer's

Editor's note: this blog post originally appeared on Huffington Post 50 Here is something that doesn't stop when the government closes down: Alzheimer's. When Louise was 3, her mother, Zoe, who was 29 at the time, was diagnosed with dementia. She is now 42, living in a home care facility unable to walk or talk. Then there is Charlie Collier, who for 25 years traveled the country seeking donations for Harvard University. Charlie gained a national reputation in the field of family philanthropy. Now, he is speaking out -- as much as he is able -- on a topic even

'Surviving Grace': A Story Of Hope And Possibilities

Editor's note: This piece originally appeared on Huffington Post 50. As a determined woman, activist, mother and writer, I've learned to stay humble (kids help you be that), work hard and to never take "no" for an answer. It's been 26 years since my mom was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This was the first time in my life that I had to accept "no, there is no cure" as the only answer available. At that time, I barely knew what the disease was. What I did know is there was no cure. My mother, this elegant lioness, was reduced