Man goes on quite a trip....

[DianaB]

Thanks, Gayle, for letting me know that.

Judy, I think that Gayle does do some teaching or leads some classes or something.

We have a large family in our church that the mom and almost all of her siblings had dementia (they never called it Alzheimer's, I think for insurance reasons). It was really sad because two of the sisters came to church and they couldn't remember any one, even their kids, but when they would get together they would kiss and hug each other. It was like deep in their mind they still knew each other. It was so sad to watch them both fail. They're both gone now, but I know that their family has to worry about getting it too.

[gja1000]

Judy! I AM a nursing teacher!!! LOL! I also do research with persons with Alzheimer's disease and their family caregivers.

Many doctors won't "make" a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), because a TRUE diagnosis of AD can only be made by a brain biopsy. Of course, we can't do brain biopsies of brains (when the person is living) so doctors rule out everything else that could be causing the confusion. There are about 100 things that can mimic AD, from depression to vitamin deficiency to dehydration to medication side effects to hearing loss, etc etc.

Thus, many doctors make a diagnosis of "Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type" or just simply dementia. AD may be familial, meaning inherited. There is a type of early onset AD (early being in the 50's or 60's years of age) that is highly inherited. But familial AD is really very rare. Diana, that is probably what you saw in the women from your church. And yes, they most likely DID, at some level, remember each other when they met at church. We really don't KNOW what people with dementia remember, we only know what they CAN'T do or say. We don't know what they are thinking or feeling inside, because they can't tell us in the normal way with words. But you could see from their actions that they "remembered" each other, even if they couldn't interact in the usual way. After working with many many persons with AD, they do know much more than they can convey!

We really don't know what causes AD, it is probably a multifocal disease, caused or precipitated, by a variety of factors. That's why it is so hard to determine the cause, because it is multi-focal, and we all have very individual lives and experiences and are exposed to a variety of different environmental things.

There is a group of nuns who have donated their brains to AD research when they die. This research is very important because these nuns have all lived together in the same environment, eaten the same food, engaged in the same activities all their lives. We may actually get some clues from their gift to research. From their brains, we are learning that some ofthem with no AD symptoms, have brains that look like they should have AD symptoms. Why is that - we don't have a clue. All brains of persons with AD symptoms look pretty much the same - but why do some brains look like AD, but the person has no symptoms? It is a mystery.

There are many theories - use it or lose it - keep the brain stimulated via interactions, education, brain-stimulating exercises, etc. Some think it is related to physical activity - the more physically active, the less AD. One finding from the Nun study is that the nuns who had more sophisticated writing skills earlier in life - have brains that show signs of AD, but the nun had no symptoms. What does that mean? Go figure!

Now, I bet that is more than you wanted to know!!! LOL!!!

[DianaB]

I found what you had to say very interesting, Gayle. I didn't know that Alzheimer's was in your area of expertice!!! Your work sounds really interesting!!!

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by DianaB

I found what you had to say very interesting, Gayle. I didn't know that Alzheimer's was in your area of expertice!!! Your work sounds really interesting!!!

Well now, I can't let out all my secrets, can I??? LOL!

[Marilyn]

So, you're a nursing teacher in Austin, and I have a daughter in Austin trying to be a nurse. She's attending Texas State, because she loves it there, but their nursing program will be in Round Rock and starts in 2011, I think. She's hoping to move to San Marcos or Wimberly and go to UTMB in the fall of '09. If she can get in. She thinks she won't have a problem. Hope she's right. She wants to get into a BSN program, and eventually work in labor and delivery. She's thinking she will eventually go for her masters so she can be a nurse practicioner. We're hoping she makes it!!!

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

So, you're a nursing teacher in Austin, and I have a daughter in Austin trying to be a nurse. She's attending Texas State, because she loves it there, but their nursing program will be in Round Rock and starts in 2011, I think. She's hoping to move to San Marcos or Wimberly and go to UTMB in the fall of '09. If she can get in. She thinks she won't have a problem. Hope she's right. She wants to get into a BSN program, and eventually work in labor and delivery. She's thinking she will eventually go for her masters so she can be a nurse practicioner. We're hoping she makes it!!!

Yep, that's where I am and what I do! Good luck to your daughter! I'm a little confused though, how will she go to UTMB if she lives in San Marcos or Wimberly? Do they have an extension or online program? I would tell her to check out UTMB's program very closely - the rumor is that there will be big cutbacks in the nursing program due to the hurricane damage and the reduction in beds at the medical center in Galveston.

She's right on target to go to a BSN program - and she will want her master's at some point. If she stays in labor and delivery, she'll have to be a Family Nurse Practitioner as there is not a practitioner program for maternity nursing exclusively. However, the family nurse practitioner program does cover pregnant women and newborns.

[Marilyn]

Gayle, It's UTMB in San Antonio that she wants to attend. She's spoken with them, since Hurricane Ike, and feels that she has a good chance of getting into their program. She thinks UT would be out of reach for her. That's where she wanted to go, but she told us she would have to go to UT and retake her pre-req's there which would add more time to her schooling. They won't accept the credits she has from Texas State, but UTMB will.

Her husband's family is in Buda, and she and SIL currently live near SouthPark Meadows. San Marcos/Wimberly is about as far from his parents as she can get him to move, so she will have to commute to San Antonio.

Sometimes I don't think we will ever get our children out of school. Our oldest has 5 years of college already and is now at UTSA studying mechanical engineering. She has about 3 more years to get her BACHELORS!! 8 years for a BACHELORS!! No wonder I can't retire anytime soon!!

Our future nurse graduated from high school in 2005, so she's been at it 3 years and only changed her major once so far. She's dead set on nursing, so I think she will stick with this.