I Still Remember Love

This post originally appeared on The Huffington Post. - Trish 1987 My mother had once again refused to see a doctor. This from a woman who, until now, had been a hypochondriac. All I wanted, I told her was, "A simple evaluation." "Evaluate yourself," she snapped, her determined chin jutting out. "Mom, I'm not the one who thinks strange men are in the house." "Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they're not here. Move in, you'll see them. Guaranteed." "Mom, you forget to take your medicine." "Get me an alarm clock, I'll remember." "I did that. You still

Probing The Realities of Big Data In Alzheimer's

This blog post was originally published by the Huffington Post. - Trish Still Alice, the film with Academy-award winning actress Julianne Moore, powerfully depicts a woman's steep descent into Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and demonstrates why people overwhelmingly cite Alzheimer's as the disease they most fear. There is currently no effective treatment for AD. For individuals, an Alzheimer's diagnosis is the beginning of a dark, inevitable journey to a place where our connection to ourselves and the world slowly fades away. For governments, the spiraling global growth of the disease -- with nearly 150 million victims projected for 2050 -- threatens

The Real 'Still Alice' (Except This One Wears Trousers)

In 2009, at the age of 59, Greg O'Brien was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. It wasn't surprising since his family was laced with the disease: his grandfather, his uncle and his mother had all succumbed to this merciless killer. Now it's Greg O'Brien's turn. But he isn't going to go down without a fight. An investigative reporter by profession, he began taking copious notes about his arduous trek into his mind, riddled with Alzheimer's. Thus began O'Brien's chronicle which resulted in his heartbreaking, defiant, profound book, On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's. "Words are the core of my life,"

Host a “Still Alice” Movie Night!

“Still Alice” is winning awards and critical acclaim for Julianne Moore’s moving portrayal of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The film’s popularity has great potential to raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s—helping bring it out of the shadows, so more people understand its impact. You can help by organizing a movie night. It’s a powerful subject, so the idea of going with a group may encourage more people to see it. Here’s how to get started: Invite a group of family members and friends to go see the movie. Think about a mix of people who do and don’t

A Faith-filled Companion for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregivers

Rev. Dr. Angelica is a contributor to our interfaith book Seasons of Caring and a founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer's Clergy Network. - Trish Seasons of Caring: Meditations for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32) We caregivers can no longer avoid the truth: Caring for someone who is diminishing from Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia will be a challenging, life-changing experience. As the Gospel of John tells us, knowing this truth will set us free – free to ask for and receive vital help. Family caregivers need not

If It Could Happen To Robin Williams…

This post originally appeared in the Alzheimer's Reading Room. - Trish It was 1978. I had just settled down to catch an episode of “Happy Days,” a funny, sweet TV show – a good escape. In the episode, The Fonz (Henry Winkler) heard a knock at the Cunningham’s front door. Outside stood Mork from Ork – Robin Williams in his first role. Mork was an endless barrage of jokes, pratfalls, catch-‘em-if-you-can rejoinders. You could get whiplash trying to keep up. He left me breathless just trying. My husband, who was working late that night, called just after the program ended

Happy Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, George and I will enjoy a meal with family and share what we're thankful for this year. But I want to get one in before we dig into the turkey and mashed potatoes. So thank you ... thank you for helping us grow UsAgainstAlzheimer's into a powerful machine to fight this senseless, cruel disease . We started from scratch, with little more than vision and a heart still reeling from the loss of my mom. Now, we've built six distinct networks and two national and international coalitions. We reach tens of millions globally, and we actually have a

Natural Causes?

Ben Bradlee, the legendary editor of The Washington Post who was best known for exposing "Watergate," died last week. According to the Washington Post and the New York Times, Bradlee died of "natural causes." Yet it was widely known and reported CNN, Sept. 29, and numerous other outlets] that he suffered from Alzheimer's for many years. Alzheimer's is a disease, a cruel and debilitating disease, and it is no more a 'natural cause' of death than cancer or heart disease. With characteristic courage, Ben Bradlee and his wife Sally Quinn, brought Alzheimer's out of the shadows. I believe newspapers need

3 Steps to Fight Alzheimer's

(Adapted from remarks made at a hearing sponsored by Congressman Steve Israel, D-NY) First, the federal government must re-prioritize its spending to make a stronger commitment to fund Alzheimer’s research. Four years ago, Congress declared War on Alzheimer’s by enacting the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), which in turn required our nation to develop a national plan to attack this disease. This plan established as Goal One preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by 2025. But, unfortunately, Congress never authorized any additional money for Alzheimer’s research when it created NAPA. Since we declared War on HIV/AIDS about 25 years ago, our federal

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