According to the Alzheimer Society of BC, 41,000 people in this province have Alzheimer disease. But for most people, 41,000 is too big a number. It all comes down to one person - the person they know with the disease.
My grandmother has Alzheimer's.
Over time, she has slowly changed and become someone else. The Alzheimer Society of BC uses a slogan on some of their materials. It says, "There's more to lose than just memories."
My grandmother was always a little bit cheeky, a little bit loud, a little bit over the top. She'd be the first to tell you if you were peeling the potatoes wrong, and she'd be the first to criticize your haircut - according to her, I've had a lot of bad haircuts.
But now, at the relatively young age of 72, she rarely says anything. She smiles, she says hello, and offers her cheek for a kiss. She remembers my name.
Every day she walks to my parent's house and arrives at exactly 4 p.m. She walks in, chats briefly with my mother and walks out. On bad days, she stops in front of the driveway, pausing to consider if she recognizes the house. Then she leaves.
My tiny, petite grandmother used to fastidious with her appearance. Now, picking out a new outfit on a daily basis is a chore. She still cooks, cleans, finds her way around and locks the front door. But time will steal all those abilities.
There is no cure for the disease. There are medications that slow the symptoms and they are pricey - for two types of drugs it is $10 a day, and it's not covered by Pharmacare.
My grandmother is not alone in her illness. Those over 65 (an estimated 280,000 Canadians) are most likely to develop the disease and women account for two thirds of the numbers.
As much as my grandmother has changed, she still holds onto her independence by walking around her familiar town. If one day she doesn't recognize her own home, she may be lost for hours. Fortunately, she has been registered with the national Safely Home Alzheimer Wandering Registry.
撸奶社区RCMP members have been trained to use and access a new B.C. computer photo registry. An Alzheimer society representative told The Chief missing Alzheimer patients need to be found within 24 hours or the mortality rate jumps 40 per cent. Death is a high price to pay for getting lost on the way home from the grocery store.
I know the chances are good that my grandmother will forget who I am as she deteriorates.
But I'll still remember her.
