Some reasons why I feel so strongly about Alzheimer's.

Thursday, August 23, 2007



My late mother in law had a very good friend when she went to graduate school. Both of them became librarian and they both love books a lot. They became such good friends that they often teased one another that when they grew old, they would take care of one another.

They got married and left North Carolina where both of them graduated from graduate school. But they visited one another very often. My husband remembered when he was young, he visited the lady home almost every summer.

After my mother in law passed on, she and her husband asked my father in law if she would consider moving to the state where they were living. My father in law did. Few years after my father in law moved to be near them, Jean (the lady name) was diagnosed with sign and syndrome of Alzheimer's.

I visited Jean and my father in law when I visited my then internet boyfriend who is now my husband of 7 years now. Jean was one of the most knowledgeable, well read women I had ever read.

She asked me about Anwar Ibrahim when we first met. Anwar Ibrahim was the deputy prime minister of Malaysia who were put in prison for some political reasons. I was a Malaysian then but I did not care much about politics. I felt so embarrassed that I had nothing to say about Anwar Ibrahim. After that incident, I learned to read some magazine before I visit Jean :). Magazine such as New Yorker, Times, the Economics and etc...

We visited Jean and my father in law every year after we got married. Jean's Alzheimer's condition gotten more and more serious each year.

Two years ago, Jean's Alzheimer's disease gotten so bad that she hardly remembered us. Almost every night she would go out of the house and throw the blanket on the yard telling us that it was a snake.

I felt so sad and hopeless about the disease because it is a disease that kill a person slowly and mercilessly.



Alzheimer's Association.

All of us should contribute to the awareness of Alzheimer's research. The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk : Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise Alzheimer's and funds for Alzheimer care, suppport and research.

Visit this site and sign up as a team captain.



Alzheimer's Association



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5 comments:

Nightwing said...

Ya, it is a silent and killer disease. I wonder if Malaysia has this kind of problem and whether or not people know what to do if any of their close friends or family members has it.

Any way...thanks for sharing and i pray all the best to Jean.

JamyTan said...

Hi Nightwing,
Thank you so much for commenting.
Jean has passed away 3 months ago, sigh.

Jamy

Nightwing said...

Sorry to hear that. I am sure she is in a better place now and she will be happy to know what you have done for her.

JesieBlogJourney said...

For Nightwing
Yes, I think M'sia has people with Alzheimer's problem but we just refer to them nyanyuk or senile.

Nightwing said...

Thanks Jesie for the info.