Niki Kapsambelis

Alzheimer's Disease is one of the worst things that I can think of happening to a person. At least with a heart attack or in some cases with a stroke, you are still capable of remembering who you are. Alzheimer's is an atrocious illness, afflicting both the patient and the caretaker as the caretaker is prone to be the target of patient's mood swings and day to day problems. While it was first systematically named and categorized in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, this condition has been around for millennia.

This book is the story of one family's quest to find answers. It focuses on one particular family and how they dealt with the hand they received in life. At its core, Alzheimer's Disease is characterized by the build-up of beta-amyloid proteins and tau protein tangles that choke brain cells to death. This book covers both the human element and the scientific element of the disease. By talking to a particularly brave and stalwart family, the DeMoes, the author was able to give a human element to the disease, even as it was taking them to their limits. The scientific aspect talks about the history of how Alzheimer's was diagnosed and its entry into the public sphere. Many famous people have been diagnosed with it, so it has gained public interest and notoriety in some areas. Perhaps one day Alzheimer's will be a disease of the past, but at the moment it only robs one of theirs.

This book especially intrigued me since my grandmother had Alzheimer's Disease, and at the time no one knew what it was. Since she developed it so early, I never actually got to meet her. I'll be honest, some parts of the book had me choked up with emotion.… (más)

This is an amazing book, non-fiction of how several families with the Alzheimer's gene used their precious years allowing themselves to be studied as part of a world wide study. The DeMoe family, with father, Galen "Moe" and mother, Gail had six children. Moe developed Alzheimer's at an early age and died by age 58. Of their six children, five inherited the genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer's in 100% of people with the gene and a 50% chance of being passed on to the next generation. These incredible people allowed themselves and their family to be an important part of the studies that, hopefully, will lead to hope for future treatments and a cure for this horrible disease. I think every one of us has had to deal with this nightmare disease in our families or will do so in the near future. What these families have done and are still doing to help the doctors to find treatments and hopefully a cure for Alzheimer's in our lifetime is nothing short of heroic. Definitely recommended.… (más)