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Whyvillians,
I'm GGbabe, here to tell you a little about the disease called Alzheimer's
(pronounced alls-hei-mers). What is Alzheimer's, you ask? It is a debilitating
disease that affects people as young as 30. It damages the brain, causing you
not to remember recent things that have happened. But you usually still remember
things that have happened in the distant past. It also causes hallucinations and
the need for constant reminders.
The cause of Alzheimer's is still unknown. Since the cause is unknown, there is
no cure or even a good treatment for it. Five to ten percent of people over the
age of 65 develop Alzheimer's. The life expectancy is 5-10 years.
Many people think that Alzheimer's is funny, because a lot of those that develop
it become like a little kid again. They could do very weird things, like dance
the hula wearing bright pink beads. I know that this is a very sad disease from
personal experience. My grandpa, otherwise known as "papa", had Alzheimer's. I
thought that it was the greatest thing ever, because I was so young. Whenever I
visited him, he would always wear bright pink beads and do the hula. Or when he
visited me he would play the portable piano but never hit the right note. I
thought he was great because he didn't have a care in the world. But he died
when I was four years old.
Living with a person with Alzheimer's is a lot harder then you can imagine. My
Grandma was worken up at least twice a night by my papa trying to get out of the
apartment that they lived in. Or she was awakened by my papa calling her to the
window because he thought that he saw trains passing by with little people on
them. You may think that this is funny, but it is not a laughing matter, not
when it happens day in and day out.
You shouldn't feel at all uncomfortable around people with this kind of disease.
They are normal people, but they are just not all there. I know you may be
thinking, "How could she remember all of this if she was only four?" Well, I can
remember because my papa and I had a special bond. When my family and I went to
visit him at the hospital, I was the only one that could understand him, and he
only ever remembered me. He was my absolute best friend in the whole wide world.
And he always will be.
My papa was a courageous man who fought in WWII, and was always full of life,
and I admire him. Even though my Papa had Alzheimer's disease, he was still
capable of doing wonderful, everyday things.
I hope that this article has taught you a little more about the disease called
Alzheimer's.
This article is dedicated to my loving papa, who passed away on July 18th, 1993.
GGbabe
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