We Are Being Assimilated

Kathryn and I think it is about time to document the down burst currently directing our lives. It started with her being diagnosed as a recipient of Alzheimer's Disease, early stage. Since then, we have become deeply enmeshed with the Utah and National Alzheimer's Associations. All of this we will document in future postings. Today, however, was particularly significant and needs recording, which occurs below.

The day started inauspiciously enough. I showed up a week early at a monthly session I have with old friends from the University. Even now, I look forward to the well deserved harassment I will be getting next week.

Kathryn and I then went to a support group meeting at the Utah Alzheimer's Association. This group consists primarily of caregivers like myself. In fact, Kathryn is the only recipient of the disease who attends, and, by the way, makes great and startling additions to the discussions. We could only stay for 30 minutes because we had been scheduled to meet with Utah's Governor Gary Herbert, along with several other representatives of the Association, as he signed the recently passed resolution passed by the Legislature in support for increased statewide acknowledgement and activity related to the disease.

As implied by the title of this blog, like those overrun by the Borg in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, we are being assimilated into the Alzheimer's world. Because of Kathryn's beauty and engaging demeanor, the Assoc. is using us to sort of front many of the public relations efforts. We appear at meetings, have gone on TV, are written about in newspaper stories and so on. Today, we spent the first 30 minutes of our time on Capitol Hill being photographed with -numeraries, both super and regular varieties. Then we were interviewed by the weekend Anchor on Channel 13 news for about 15 minutes about our experiences, story, feelings, hopes and current efforts. He said he would be doing a full story this coming weekend on us and what we are trying to do. It was exhilarating to say the least. Kathryn's charm and directness simply overwhelmed him.

When we went in to meet with Governor with some 20 other folk, Executive Director Jenks of the Association made a special effort to introduce us to him, and pointed out that Kathryn was the only recipient of the disease in the room at the time. The Governor warmed to that and, after signing the bill, talked with us for another five or ten minutes about our experience. His mother and grandmother both experienced the disease so he has seen the impact up close and personal. Many photogs where snapping as we spoke with the Governor and then more after we left the room.

When we returned to the Alzheimer's Office, Jack Jenks confirmed that Kathryn would be nominated for membership on the National Alzheimer's Association's Committee for Early Stage Alzheimer's Recipients. Then he asked if I would be willing to serve on the Board of Directors for the Utah Alzheimer's Association. This is all coming at us pretty quickly, pretty hot and heavy.

I think the pull comes from our attitude, namely that we will do and want to do whatever we can to further the cause. Our personal goal is to remove the stigma as much as we can, to participate in clinical trials, to be spokes persons, to donate what's left of our brains and bodies upon our demise for research and analysis. Finally, we want to be as open as possible to empower and liberate others to admit, recognize, speak about, and attack the disease.

Future blogs will discuss our experiences and record our path to this point and then into the future.