Alzheimer's - It's Not My Fault
Richard Taylor wrote: "'Getting the disease' for most of us has nothing to do with our genes, or life styles, or breakfast, or any other identifiable and controllable behavior in our lives. It just happens!"

"As of this moment there is NO way to avoid it. Period. If it is gonna happen, it is gonna happen. There is no science, research, or person on the Earth who knows how to avoid this from happening. We can slow down it's progress in some people, for some time. We don't know ahead of time who this will work on or not work on. So we all try it. It's not our "fault" or under our control if we will or will not get it, or will or will not be able to slow it down."

"Please, please use your sizable influence and exposure to occasionally remind people who are understandably looking for someone or thing to blame and/or control the disease, and that searching for fault is the wrong path to take. Asking for a plan with a guarantee to avoid the disease is the wrong message to take from these articles."

"We just don't know how to answer these questions, so why bother wasting time and energy asking? These are questions which are being researched, but no one, no one has the answers yet."


I would like to respond:
1. Alzheimer's disease doesn't "just happen." There are many, albeit mostly unidentified, factors involved, including eating habits, exercise habits, genetics, and so on. We may not be able to Alzheimer's-proof our lives, but we CAN make an effort to live wisely - eat natural foods, get exercise, keep your mind active.

2. Please, please, PLEASE don't pass on the mindset of "We don't know how to fix it or deal with it, so just forget about 'wasting' time and energy trying to learn more, and trying to live as healthy as we know how to." Make positive lifestyle choices, and keep up with current health knowledge. The world is learning new things everyday about how to make our bodies happy and healthy. There is so much information out there! It is up to each and every person out there to choose to make an effort to learn. While this will not 100% prevent disease, it makes a big difference!
Rachel Lemme

Alzheimer's - It's Not My Fault

Please thank Richard Taylor for expressing what many of us have been thinking for some time. It seems that every day there is a new 'link' between some behavior and some disease, not just Alzheimer's. Not long ago there was some disease of later life that apparently was affected by some food or beverage (I can't remember the details) that was consumed by girls between the ages of 3 and 5. Please! Let's be real!

I really appreciate your newsletter, which is an excellent source of information about the (real) research being done, and about methods of coping with the disease and associated caregiving responsibilities. However, I hope all the readers take some of the articles with many grains of salt!
Maren Harrison, daughter of an Alzheimer's mother.