Alzheimer's vs. Cancer

I am tad bit discombobulated today. Not sure how I let myself get this way... but, I did. I think it all started when I read the front page of the AJC newspaper this morning on my way through the office break room... the headline mid-way down the page read "Unmasking Alzheimer's: Tests Close In On The Cause*". My heart leapt. I grabbed the section and started quickly reading the front page part of the article... I opened to the inside page where the article continued.. there was an entire page A4 dedicated to the article! So I folded the section, tucked it under my arm and ventured back to my office. On my way there, I stopped to say hello to one of co-workers (whom I have been friends with for a long time now)... in exchanging morning greetings I announced my excitement in that the researchers were honing in on the cause/cure for Alzheimer's. He responds that he wishes they would spend more time finding the cure for Cancer than Alzheimer's... I am awestruck in my tracks! Mouth gaping open... I could not believe his words... Of course, I pounce back that he is crazy because both are bad and why should one be more important to be researched than the other? Which brings me to today's argument: Alzheimer's vs. Cancer... which is the lesser of two evils? And besides, his statements have been bugging me ALL day! How can someone choose one over the other? I have been on both sides of that picket fence and I am here to tell you that NEITHER is fun... I have suffered through years of surgeries, recoveries, and then death with my grandfather for most of my college years. I am now suffering through the beginning stages of my grandmother's stroll down Dementia Lane well on her way to full-blown Alzheimer's... And for the life of me, I do not know which is worse! I guess I am a little biased because his lung cancer was caused by his many years of smoking... and the only reason I know of her developing dementia so early is because four of her sisters have died with it in the past. His could be for the most part removed by surgery, radiation treatments, chemo, etc.... Hers has NO treatments... there are a few pills on the market that supposedly "slow the progression" of shrinking brain mass... but, she has been taking those for over three years now! And I have not seen any slowing of her progression... only progression... FAST progression... My co-worker said that he thinks cancer is more important to research because the victims suffer so badly. Obviously he has not been exposed to an Alzheimer's victim... maybe they are not in constant physical pain... but even if they were, they would not remember it! And they do not have the capacity to tell anyone about it! And the ones who suffer are the people around them... to watch a loved one lose their mind gradually is the most painful experience that I know of... they can be mindless for YEARS... and there are no surgeries to "fix" your brain mass. People with Alzheimer's do not know who they are or who you are or why they do what they do... they sleep/nap all the time and every little ache or pain is elevated to sheer madness... when they are not napping they are angry... they do not know what their actions are... or how their actions affect others... Yes, cancer is bad. Yes, cancer victims suffer. But, if I have to choose between two evils, then I choose to support Alzheimer's... but, then I still support the American Cancer Society too! But, right now, today... I am supporting Alzheimer's Awareness... because that is my world for the moment....


*The article in summary is revealing that one widely held theory about Alzheimer's involves a protein called beta amyloid that gets out of balance inside the brain. The protein sticks together over time causing the brain cells to withdraw, disrupting the links to stored memories and regions of the brain that direct executive function. Over time, the amyloid sets off a toxic chain reaction that causes brain cells to die. The article also says that 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer's today and because Americans are living longer that the number could increase to 16 million by 2050; therefore, increasing the urgency for an effective treatment. Yikes! Those numbers are shocking to say the least...Maybe a vaccine will developed soon enough... Fingers crossed, blessings counted, thanks given...