I cannot begin to tell you how many people have come up to me over the last 15 years and told me they think they have Alzheimer's Disease. People of all different ages, young and old, will say, "Trish, I can't remember where I put my keys, I think I am losing it"; "Trish, I walked into the kitchen and forgot why I went there";  "Trish, I lost my phone twice this week, but thank goodness I found it"; "Trish, what is wrong with me, do I have Alzheimer's Disease?"  The answer is 99.99% of the time "No".  I don't take these comments lightly, but lets not confuse what is normal memory loss with Alzheimer's Disease.

This month it will be two years that my grandmother passed away.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her.  I can honestly say my grandmother was one of my closest friends and her passing has left a big void in my heart. My grandmother was 93 years old when she passed away.  She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and as her disease progressed my love for her grew even more.  I felt the need to protect her.  Truthfully, I am not sure if she ever realized the impact she had on me but I do know that the bond we shared was mutual.

Growing up I was fortunate to have a very close relationship with my grandparents. My relationship with my grandparents is what gave me the itch to work in the field of geriatrics. My grandmother and I shared a very special bond and after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease it was very difficult for me to face the effects of the disease on a personal level.