For this week, I would like to talk about my thoughts and
feelings after watching the Ted Talk about preparing for Alzheimer’s. She
mentions that Alzheimer’s and dementia are global issues and that by 2030 there
will be 70 million people suffering from this disease. While watching the
video, it was my immediate reaction to cry and feel sad. This woman is having
to watch what Alzheimer’s is doing to her dad and constantly be reminded that
there is a good chance that it could also happen to her. As stated in the synopsis
under the video, most people would respond to this situation with denial or how
thoughts on how to prevent it. But the reality is, if you’re going to get it,
you’re going to get it. But instead, global health expert Alanna decides to
prepare for the day that she too could get the diagnosis.
She decides to be proactive instead of reactive when it
comes to your health. Alanna is choosing to act now, before being diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s, to prepare her mind and body for the possibility. Rather than
waiting for a doctor to confirm an Alzheimer’s diagnosis she chooses to get new
hobbies, improve her balance and physical strength and become a better person. She believes that these will help her if she
does end up getting Alzheimer’s or dementia.
It is very important to always follow the proactive route
when it comes to health. This means getting regular physicals, staying up to
date on mammograms, always eating healthy, exercising for at least 30 minutes a
day, wearing sunscreen and seatbelts, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol use. Whether
it is preparing for Alzheimer’s, dementia, diabetes or cancer, it is important
to be proactive and take responsibility for your health in order to better
combat these global issues.
https://www.ted.com/talks/alanna_shaikh_how_i_m_preparing_to_get_alzheimer_s?language=en
I also wanted to cry! This woman had incredible foresight and strength in her proactive approach. I can't help but thinking though, if I were in her situation, that doing so much to prepare for the disease would cause it to overrun my mind, leading me to worry and dread my future. Is there a line to be crossed between preparing for the future vs. allowing it to consume your present? My mom has always been very proactive in disease prevention, but sometimes it drives her so far as to not enjoy her life because she is concerned about some possible outcome far down the road. If I were in this woman's situation, I would think drawing practice would only make me sad and worried, but I suppose this depends on the individual's mental health state and acceptance of the possibility of disease...
ReplyDeleteWatching this video makes me want to cry too! It is heart breaking to see persons who were extremely active and energetic in such extreme bad situation especially when they are so close to your heart. I imagined being in her situation & that made me feel more sad. How would I react in such situation? will I be strong enough to face the situation or be depressed and mentally & emotionally paralized?
ReplyDeleteI really admired her spirit & her reaction gave me an idea about how to deal, as public health professionals, with such a threat. Targeting the patient relatives to inhance thier spirits towards positive thinking is a highly effective approach that was not under our major focus. In my opinion, it will have a double effect of tertiary prevention (emotional rehabilitation) for the patient & primary prevention for his/her close relatives. I believe such an approach needs further concern and applications.
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ReplyDeleteAudrey,
ReplyDeleteThis video was definitely a tear jerker. If it wasn’t the first day of class I probably would have shed some tears. Although it was very sad, it was also very inspiring. It’s inspiring to see someone who has every right to just want to give up and be sad, be so strong and determined. Not only is she allowing herself to accept that she, like her father, may develop Alzheimers, she is being proactive and preparing for it. She is not scared, because she knows how to prevent this disease from taking over her life. It really made me appreciate every day that I wake up healthy, because every day so many people are diagnosed with a disease that changes their and their loved one’s lives forever. It would be great to see more interventions and help for people going through these hard times as well as learning ways to prepare for a certain disease like she did in the video.
Audrey, your writing reflects my thoughts of the TED talk as well. What the presenter was saying really spoke to me. My family is unfortunate enough to have most genetic illnesses out there. So I too am preparing for the worst. The one I am concentrating on most right now is my arthritis in my hands. I have some arthritis currently, but am told it will more than likely get worse in the coming years. I am trying to prevent this by not smoking, watching my caffeine intake, and basically doing activities that test the dexterity in my hands. I have taken up cross-stitch as holding a needle can really aggravate my fingers. I have also tried to learn to play guitar and piano. Basically, I am doing what Alanna is doing; preparing myself. I was very happy to have watched this video and know that others are not letting their potential illnesses get the better of them.
ReplyDeleteMy research topic is on Alzheimer Disease and what are some of the causal factors. While watching this video I kept thinking don't stress, you may have the gene but according to your cognitive and brain reserves may never show pathology. There are so many unknowns with this disease. At one time people thought that it was a disease of old age, but now we know that environmental factors and contaminants also play a major role in the progression of this disease. Audrey you are right about being active, reading, creating brain and cognitive reserves that will help us starve off the progression and pathology. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, no family history, 20 years in the military so she is healthy and eats well, doesn't eat meat and we wonder what could we have done, why didn't we see this coming. Unfortunately there is so much we do not know about the etiology of some diseases and how to prevent them. I would say we need to start talking about less stress, and living life to the fullest, because we really don't know what tomorrow will bring.
ReplyDeleteMy research topic is on Alzheimer Disease and what are some of the causal factors. While watching this video I kept thinking don't stress, you may have the gene but according to your cognitive and brain reserves may never show pathology. There are so many unknowns with this disease. At one time people thought that it was a disease of old age, but now we know that environmental factors and contaminants also play a major role in the progression of this disease. Audrey you are right about being active, reading, creating brain and cognitive reserves that will help us starve off the progression and pathology. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, no family history, 20 years in the military so she is healthy and eats well, doesn't eat meat and we wonder what could we have done, why didn't we see this coming. Unfortunately there is so much we do not know about the etiology of some diseases and how to prevent them. I would say we need to start talking about less stress, and living life to the fullest, because we really don't know what tomorrow will bring.
ReplyDelete