News report makes me want to start smoking again

[Acklander]

I heard on the news this AM that they expect the cases of Alzheimer's disease to double and then triple over the years. They also said it the most expensive disease to treat, I guess because it can go on and on and on.
I don't know why but hearing that made me want to start smoking again (I quit about 10 years ago). I know cancer is bad, but the thought of Alzheimer's scares me much more.
I guess we can stop complaining about how the smokers and the obese are running up the cost of health care, when actually it's those who live healthy life styles and then end up with alzheimers.
Am I the only one who's more afraid of losing the essence of who I am more than I am afraid of dying???

 

[clarabelle]

I understand your feelings.
Although dying of lung cancer is a pretty grim death too.
One of the issues with Alzheimer's is that we do lots of "end of life" care in this country.
Mammograms and CAT scans on people who are 95 years old and demented.
Feeding tubes to keep them going when they can't swallow.

It seems to go against our grain to say no to health care if it is available.

 

[Bilberry]

Alzheimer's is something that scares me. The disease runs in my family. A great grandmother came down with the condition. Then her daughter, my grandma had it. And now another grandma seems to be heading down the forgetful and angry Alzheimer's path.

I'm hoping the theory that alzheimer's is another form of diabetes, type 3 diabetes, is correct. That way I might have luck avoiding the same fate. I eat low carb, not much sugar in my diet. I guess insulin might play a part in memory


http://www.drbriffa.com/2008/04/11/...-plays-a-role-in-the-development-of-dementia/

 

[Colleen27]

I'm with you - Alzheimers scares the heck out of me, and since 3 of my 4 grandparents had it I feel like I'm pretty much doomed on that count. Women in my family tend to live a very long time; my grandmother lived to 90, and for the last 5 or 6 years of that time she was pretty much gone mentally. She'd get so upset that she couldn't find my grandfather because she couldn't remember that he'd been dead for many years, or she'd be scared when my brother would help with her care because she didn't recognize him. That, to me, is far scarier than cancer or just about anything else.

My grandfather died of lung cancer. It was terrible for him and for the family, but it was a few months of terrible not many, many years and he was "all there" mentally and directing his medical care right up to the end. I don't smoke, but I'd rather go that way than slip away bit by bit and end up with no way to communicate what I want as far as treatment/end of life care goes.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I am much more frightened of losing myself than of dying. My body is just a shell but the essence of who I am, well that's more valuable. If I can't think or be me I'd rather not be here, better things are waiting for me

 

[alliecats]

I did not know that about type 3 diabetes. I have heard a lot to connect it in some way with HSV-1 (herpes virus that cauese cold sores). I hope that all the effort they are concentrating on it right now will pay off in the next 10-15 years, if not sooner.