A father of three found light in the darkness after receiving an early-onset Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.
Battle Against Dementia
Gerry King initially thought his family was making plans without him, only to find out later that he had forgotten their conversations and was having problems with his short-term memory. His wife, Trisha, also noticed that he keeps asking the same questions about 30 to 40 times a day.
The retired council worker from Fife, Scotland, began showing symptoms of Alzheimer's in 2016 when his wife and father-in-law noticed changes in his personality. He used to be laid-back, but Trisha noticed that he became argumentative, like it was not him at all.
After around one month of showing these symptoms, Gerry visited his GP. The doctor initially thought that Gery might be stressed or suffering from depression since his work in the architectural department of the council at the time was demanding.
Gerry passed a memory test, but the doctor noticed that the data did not match up with his IQ and had expected a higher result. He was referred to a psychiatrist and completed a more complex memory test, which he failed drastically.
After being put under the care of a neurologist, a psychologist, and a specialist nurse, Gerry underwent numerous scans, which confirmed his early-onset Alzheimer's 18 months later. The diagnosis had a dramatic effect on himself and his entire family.
As Gerry describes, he has always hoovered and tidied around, but he still finds it too difficult. He will do things like washing the dishes but gets distracted easily. He also found that his ability to walk around is getting more restricted, causing him to trip over quite a lot.
Gerry also claims to have lost 32 years of friends and work colleagues since none visited him. He thinks that this is due to the stigma surrounding dementia because people are afraid of the unknown. Having lost his self-confidence, Gerry also lost the reason to get up in the mornings. He also contemplated suicide since he did not want to be a burden on his wife and children.
Since his diagnosis, Gerry has set up a local support group and a charity called Stand, which aims to empower people affected by Alzheimer's. He also wants to help minimize the stigma around this disease since there is not always a lot of awareness about this condition. Through this charity, he has helped about 300 businesses in this area to become dementia friendly while working as part of the government's lived experience team to help inform policy on the condition. According to Gerry, this group has had an amazing effect on him and has given him a new sense of purpose.
Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which affects a person's memory, thinking, and behavior. It usually progresses to the point where it can affect daily activities and functions.
This decline of cognitive function commonly affects older adults but can also affect individuals in their 30s or 40s. When Alzheimer's disease is manifested by someone under 65, it is referred to as an early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Experts are still mystified by the factors that trigger the start of Alzheimer's disease. They suspect that two proteins damage and kill nerve cells in the brain: beta-amyloid and tau. Fragments of beta-amyloid can build up and form plaques, while tau can get twisted to create tangles. Any person can develop plaques and tangles as they age, but those suffering from Alzheimer's disease develop many more of them.
Check out more news and information on Alzheimer's Disease in Science Times.
