My Mother, My Grandmother, My Daughter, Myself

Note: this is first in a series of posts about women and Alzheimer’s When I was home during intersession in my junior year of college, I went with my mother to visit my grandmother in a nursing home. She had what was called “hardening of the arteries.” An articulate, determined, domineering woman-of-her-era, she was now a confused, rambling old lady. I watched as my mother gathered her mother’s soiled laundry to wash at home. Until then, my mother’s laundering skills were nil – unless you counted her rinsing out her nylons at night. But this was her mother and our

Walk a Day in Her Shoes

When my mother, as yet undiagnosed with Alzheimer’s, asked me to get a pair of glasses from her purse, I stumbled upon a traffic ticket. I sighed, knowing my mother’s propensity for speeding. I scanned the summons to find how fast she was going this time. Much to my surprise she had been pulled over for going ten miles-per-hour on the middle lane of The George Washington Bridge. Rather than cutting off traffic, she had been virtually leading a parade of cars at a snail’s pace. Horns were blaring, but my mom thought there was a party going to a

The Power of US and 2012

When my husband George and I launched the USAgainstAlzheimer’s Network last year, our lofty vision was to unite the power of US - researchers, millions of families and advocates, hundreds of companies and our public officials. We believed (and still do) that together, we will spur the innovations in science, industry practice and regulatory processes essential to the discovery of safe and effective therapies needed to stop Alzheimer's. During 2011, the USAgainstAlzheimer’s Network moved quickly. We testified before Congress and were invited to the table to help fashion a bold and transformative plan to attack Alzheimer’s, based on legislation signed

Hit and Run

Recently, the New York Times ran another in their series of articles about concussions and football players. Written by George Vecsey, this piece focused on a college football player, Derek Owens, who has joined with other varsity players – three football players and one soccer goalie – in a class action suit that claims the NCAA has been negligent regarding awareness and treatment of brain injuries to athletes. The article begins with Derek’s mom, Teresa, reacting with a mother’s horror at watching her son being ferociously tackled, inadvertently yelling, "They’ve killed him." I know her pain. My son, Tyler, was

AIDS and Alzheimer’s: Two Deadly Diseases, Two Different Stories

In 1986, when I was writing on the sitcom “Designing Women,” the brilliant creator of the show, Linda Bloodworth Thomason, and I found out on the same week that both of our mothers had a fatal disease. Linda’s mother had acquired AIDS from a transfusion; my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Within six months Linda’s mother had passed; my mom died five years later. Years later, in 2002, I had a meeting with then Senator Hillary Clinton. Hillary and Linda were very close friends so I shared that coincidence. I also opined that had that incident occurred then – in

Tackling Concussions

Good news for football moms…and football dads…and football grandparents…and anyone who watches football…and, well, anyone who cares about human life and scientific research. (There must be a category you fit into.) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, at first in denial about the link between player’s repeated concussions and degenerative cognitive function or Alzheimer’s later in life, has made a laudable 180-degree turnaround. He is now a vocal champion for the safety of his players: “There is no issue of greater importance when it comes to player safety than the effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of concussions,” Goodell told the 2011 Congress

Why is fighting Alzheimer’s important? Exclusive Q&A with George Vradenburg

Earlier this month, George Vradenburg participated in his first meeting of the national Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services, which is charged with developing the first-ever national plan to combat Alzheimer’s. Using some connections (namely, that he’s my husband), I was able to secure an exclusive interview with Mr. Vradenburg, and we discussed how Alzheimer’s has affected him personally and the work he’s done to stop the disease. TV: Thank you for meeting with me to discuss your work to end Alzheimer’s by 2020, Mr. Vradenburg. GV: Always a pleasure, Mrs. Vradenburg. TV: What were your thoughts about

In Sickness and in Health: A Response to Pat Robertson

When Pat Robertson answered a caller's question on his radio show stating that divorce is a reasonable option for Alzheimer's patients' spouses if they're going to do something in a new relationship, he opened up a hornets' nest of reactions. And many of those hornets had their proverbial stingers out. Is it okay to check your vows at the door if your marriage partner is slipping into the unforgiving vortex of Alzheimer's? If so, what stage - onset, failing memory, paranoid rants, cognitive disassociation, comatose? Mr. Robertson wasn't that specific. Yet he was clearly wrestling with the reality of that

Memory, Reality

This college essay for admission to Cornell University was written by my daughter, Alissa, at the age of 17. The scene is so clear to me. I am wearing my favorite blue and white-checkered dress. Nana has on bright red lipstick, which eventually will end up all over my face after the encore. It was one of my favorite moments – the spotlight on me and Nana by my side. Sometimes I yearn to go back to that moment rather than see how things are today. Memory: The music blares. The lights come up. Two figures appear on the state

Grandpa Wayne

Once in awhile, we'll feature the personal story of someone who has a firsthand experience with Alzheimer's, or who simply wants to find a cure for this unforgiving disease. This is Amanda's story. If you want to share your own story, CLICK HERE. I lost my best friend when my grandpa got Alzheimer's. My grandpa passed away from Alzheimer's Disease in 2005; he was 68. I was 12 when he started showing signs; my grandpa was 58 years old when diagnosed with the disease. My great grandma, my great aunt, and my dad have all been tested for Alzheimer's in