Question#2 -- MSJA Genetics

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Subject: Question#2

Author:
Catelin

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Date Posted: 03:50:32 12/12/03 Fri

If I was counseling Janet, I would tell her that she is not "pre-Alzheimer's", she is still Janet. I would tell her that even though she is at greater risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, she should not identify herself as a pre-Alzheimer's patient. That is ridiculous and it places a burden on those around her who may not know how to deal with her feelings about the disease because they were not with her when she had to take of her father and may not understand what she feels. I would also tell her that it is ridiculous to worry so much now about what may or not be in the future, because if we all "lived" our lives that way we would not really be living.
With the information that Janet now has, she can now confront her family with the fact that she is at great risk for developing Alzheimer's. She can also explain to her children that they too may develop the disease one day too. She can talk to them about what it was like to care for her father and explain to them how she would not like to be cared for. She can tell her family that she would not like to be a burden to them, but that she understands that that may be inevitable and if she does become a burden to them, she is sorry.
Janet can say everything that she would like to tell her family now, if she happens to develop the disease in the future. That way everything is out in the open and if she is diagnosed it will not be such a shock to everyone because they have had time to prepare themselves. The family can begin to research the disease and develop a better understanding of what may happen to their mother. They can also research some treatments or steps that can be taken to slow the progression of the disease.
With this information, the family has even better reason to make strong memories. They can take home videos and many pictures and make scrap books with their mother. This way if their mother begins to loose her memory they can watch the videos and look at the scrap books with her and try to help her remember some things. If she cannot remember they can tell her stories about all of their special memories. If Janet does or does not develop the disease, the family will always have great memories to hold onto and great memories of their mother before she was sick.

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