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Some background:
My mother has Alzheimer’s Disease, first noticed about 10 years ago, and now lives in a memory/assisted living center. I’ve studied the disease, interviewed professionals, and blog about her on occasion, in hopes of helping myself, and others, learn about this horrible “long good-bye” disease. From the heartbreak of losing Mom, to the heartbreak and frustration of watching my dad cope with her decline, to participating in the Alzheimer’s Foundation fundraising walks, my sisters and I often feel helpless. There’s just not much we can do.
In February 2006, in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, the lead character’s mother “woke up” from her Alzheimer’s Disease. You can read more about it here, because I blogged about it at the time.
In my post, I stated that I could find no other reference anywhere online that cited an Alzheimer’s patient experiencing hours of lucidity.
Then, a few days ago, I heard from Loretta. I was stunned at her email. (Shared below.)
It seems, in fact, that this awakening, this seemingly unbelievable “coming to,” may not be unheard of after all. Is it possible that it happens more frequently than we think? Is it possible it is “covered up” or at least ignored by the organizations that could help us become aware?
This possibility raises dozens of questions…. some of which we may explore on this page. I offer it as a resource for those of us who want to ask these questions, and perhaps find some answers, and to create a central location where we can begin learning more.
Please contact me, or comment below, if you’d like to join this discussion. I believe there may be others out there who have had this experience with their loved ones, but have somehow been told it wasn’t important, or it didn’t really happen — anything — to discount it.
I believe we can learn from them, although I’m not sure how. Maybe YOUR responses will give us some clues.
If you prefer to write to me and not comment below, please do so at epablog(at)diagKNOWsis.org
So we’ll begin here, with Loretta’s email to me:
I was doing some research on the Internet re: the possibility of a temporary “awakening” of an Alzheimer’s patient and came upon your blog. (Typed in “Grey’s Anatomy Alzheimer’s”). In your blog for Feb. 6, 2007 you stated that: “Nowhere in my research could I find anything that says an Alzheimer’s patient can redevelop the clarity that Ellis Grey did on the TV show.”
You are correct in stating that there is nothing in the medical literature that we can find online that documents this phenomenon, but I am here to tell you that this DID happen to my Mom for about 10 hours on July 21, 2007. We actually videotaped her, and it truly was a mind-boggling event for all of us.
Just wanted you to know for the record that our entire family lived through this incredible experience and we have the tapes to prove it. Mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about 5 years ago, yet on this ONE DAY she became as lucid as she ever had been and we “had her back with us” — her laughter, her sense of humor, her entire personality CAME BACK !!!!!!!!!!!! We had her call all six of her siblings around the country to talk with them so they could share in this momentous event also, and everyone was totally blown away by the experience!!!
She does have an upcoming appointment with a neuropsychologist at the Lahey Clinic here in Massachusetts who is very interested in her case, but other than this physician, no one else seems to be interested in it. I have called the Alzheimer’s Association, but only gotten pat answers like, “Well, yes, this can happen… it’s not unheard of,” but when you go to find any research studies about it — there are none. (At least, that we are aware of.)
Perhaps you are more connected to people actually doing research into this terrible disease?? Because, at least in my mother’s case, (and I can only speak for her case based on our unbelievable experience) those brain cells are NOT DEAD and my mother is “in there” somewhere –totally intact !!!!!!! (We theorize that the neuron synapses must have lined up in just the perfect configuration to allow them to “connect” and so she was “on.”) Incredible?? You bet !!!! But I am telling you that we witnessed it and have it on video.
God bless, Loretta in Massachusetts
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Readers? Comments? Let’s get this conversation started!
[...] Alzheimer’s Reports [...]
This reply came from Sharon Musgrave’s husband:
I have seen it too. I dont have any family member with ALZ but my ex wife worked at a retirement home in Akron, Ohio. She reported to me and has shown me a few cases where these people “wake up” from this terrible darkness in their mind and for short bursts of time they know who they are and converse perfectly normal.
My mom, who also has Alzheimer’s, periodically has moments when she remembers better than my father and I do and can understand the line of thought in a normal conversation. Those moments are getting fewer and farther between as her illness progresses.
From correspondence with many people taking statin (cholesterol lowering) drugs, there are numerous reports of short term & long term memory loss and TGA (transient global amnesia). Statins use the same mevalonate pathway as CoQ10, an essential enzyme required by every cell in our body, especially the brain and heart. Most doctors deny the statin/cognitive connection exists, but in 1989 and 1990 Merck actually patented the use of CoQ10 in combination with statin drugs (according to Dr Julian Whitaker) because they knew in clinical trials that statins caused CoQ10 depletion. Canada and other countries have a ‘black box’ warning in their DPI’s (drug package inserts) to supplement with CoQ10, but the FDA refuses to add this warning to statins distributed in the USA.
My husband was misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s type dementia following 8 years on statins. His memory improved considerably once statins were stopped and high doses of CoQ10 taken, but his cognitive abilities never returned to pre-statin days. Both brain MRI and PET scans were completely normal (no amyloid plaques); only Neuro-psychological testing was the ‘reason’ for AD diagnosis.
I encourage anyone that is taking a statin drug and experiencing any cognitive decline to do their research. Dr Duane Graveline, who experienced TGA from Lipitor, penned two books; Lipitor - Thief of Memory and Statin Drugs - Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol. My website contains three years of my research to date on statins and their adverse effects.
This post makes me want to cry. I PRAYED for this to happen to my mom. Unfortunately, it never did. I found myself thinking more and more as the disease progressed…..”If I could just have a few hours of “normalcy” then, I would be okay.” I’ll definitely keep my ear to the ground on this one.
I tell you, when you are dealing with the care of an elderly parent who is sick and then has dementia or alzheimers on top of the sickness, it is horrific. My Mom was diagnosed about one year ago and the disease becomes worse every day. Not only does she have congestive heart failure and is 88, but she now suffers with alzheimers. She still knows who she is most of the time and who I am. But, everything else seems to be a problem for her. The patience that it takes for someone to care for a patient is unbelievable. I believe that you would have to be a saint not to lose it every now and then. But, the times when we lose it, we have to immediately turn around and pray for guidance and patience. As heartbreaking as this disease is on the family, just imagine the heartbreak your loved one must feel at times. My Mom is in and out of reality and I am not sure which is worse. I think for her, she knows enough while she is in reality to know that things are very wrong. Just pray. Just pray.
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