The way to end Alzheimer's is by NOT using aluminum. Aluminum has been found to cause Alzheimer's. Aluminum is not natural to the environment and yet it is in our food, water, medications and personal care products. It is used as cookware, drinking containers, food storage and so on. Aluminum leaches and contaminates any consumables we may ingest. Aluminum is being dumped in our air by the mega tons as nano particles by the military daily. So much so that Alzheimer's is up by 265% just in my county alone since 2007. Which was the year the military started geoengineering our skies.

Rick Early onset before it expands to full blown AD makes you a needed patient to be investigated and treated to find a mechanism that will stop progression. Contact the NIH to join a research treatment team the key to finding a "cure" leading to remission is the only means of stopping this pandemic.

Rick, I also have early-onset dementia and am coming to terms with it. I admire your proactive energy and your acceptance of it. "It is what it is." That serenity is what I am trying for too. I look forward to reading your posts.

Yep, but there are many books with that title.

Google it. Mr Google knows all.

Re: the book "the myth of Alzheimer's " ... Who is the author?

Ibeen, rispideral is an anti-psychotic used off label to treat behavioural problems associated with dementia, it's use is unrelated to other drugs used to slow the progression of ALZ or other dementias. You are right that those types of meds shouldn't be given to people with LBD, I'm sorry that happened to your friend. It is unfortunate that most people associate the word dementia with Alzheimer's and often do not have a clue there are other kinds. It is even more unfortunate when those people who are ignorant are in the health care field.

I have one more comment to add. Present day doctors knowledge of Geriatrics is not what it should be. In the last 10 years doctors are taught Geriatrics. Today we only have 160,000 Geriatricians in the US. They are the lowest paid of all specialties. I live in Boston where it is not hard to find a Geritrician. I know through out the US this is not the case. With Alzheimer's/Dementia is a growing epidemic, we our expected to be overwhelmed by 2050. My mother had Vascular Dementia for 12 years, her quality of life had improved when I changed her doctor over to a Geriatrician. There needs to be an incentive for doctors to go into Geriatrics.

Sorry, I spelled Risperdal incorrectly. It's Risperdal, not Ruisperdal.I need new glasses!

The misdiagnosis of Alzheimer's is very common these days. A proper dx is supposed to be done by a neuro and it usually takes three hours of thorough testing. My friend's mom was hospitalized and declared Alz. Unfortunately, this was a misdiagnosis. She had Lewy Body (as did Robin Williams). The woman was given drugs for Alz, namely the antipsychotic Riusperdal, which should NEVER be given to a person with Lewy Body. Sadly the drug killed the woman. The family sued and won. I know people really want a drug cure since taking a pill looks so easy, but think twice about it. The "tradeoff" is not so nice and easy if the pill kills you while doing oh so much good.

I worked in Geriatric Research for a non-profit organization for 32 years. I also, took care of my mother who had Vascular Dementia at home for 12 years. I understand everyone's feelings, positive and negative. People are living longer and Alzheimer's/ Dementia will be an epidemic. But, donations do help. My organization works from grants from the NIH. YES, it does pay salaries etc. I do believe we know more than what we did 20 years ago. Education has improved. There are drugs that do improve quality of life. We have come a long way. But, we have a long way to go.

Well I too must be synical because I agree with Rick for the most part. Drug manufactures are not actively pursuing a cure because there is no pay off in sight. It takes some times millions upon millions of dollars to get a drug to the market. There hasn't been a huge push to see a cure... It all just take a lot of money that the drug companies don't want to flip the bill for the research. There is a bit of research out there showing that Alzheimer's is like a " leaking roof" you could be dealing with many holes in the roof and finding a drug that patches one hole may not be the patch needed for the other leaks. Food, diet, chemical imbalance all have a role in this horrible disorder. It takes people willing to take the time to figure this out

I agree whole hearted with Rick and also say do something about the disease and quit begging. Just lost my Mom from the disease and she only lasted 2 years. GOD BLESS you Rick and continue to care for you but don't burden yourself with the other nonsense

I fully agree on the LIstening it's most powerfull.
Second opinion: because the authour is so knowledgeable she (he?) could not benefit the placebo effect which is known , in Quantum work as measurement problem

Rick, I can't thank you enough! From one writer to another, THANK YOU for telling it like it is. I do not have any form of dementia. I suffered from an eating disorder for over three decades and the story is strikingly similar. Wear purple! And get a dumb-looking tattoo like that's gonna change things. No, actually it'll stick around forever and embarrass you in two decades when you do NOT want your future employer to know you survived an eating disorder. Not only that, the "recovery" tattoo is a symbol for a specific money-making organization claiming to be a nonprofit...NOT. Instead of actually speaking to us, we're being shoved into more and more "treatment" ghettos, more and more government money funneled into "care" that's more like prison camps. Money funds turning kids into Revolving Door Syndromes, and now more and more previously intact families become broke and broken up. Patients are traumatized by forced feeding, and left with no solutions at all.

I personally welcome articles such as these which tell the Real Story from a person who is there right now. While the rest of us can sit and sugar coat it all with euphemisms, that will not help anyone, but to add a bit of saccharine to a life that cannot become sweet that way.

Instead, as Rick says, we need more listening, more caring, and more compassion. It won't take rocket science to change the world. It takes people and community.

Oh! of course!
I must go help others who are in my past position! I forgot about doing that because I have been trying to get used to not having to be on call all the time.
Thank you for reminding me, I have been there and know not to say "call me" but just to go DO like i had wished someone had.

I agree with the article - kind of like the Bring our Girls Home tweets that, so far, have not helped to rescue the girls from Boko Haram. We have become a culture that wants the sound bite, the quick fix, the selfie, the publicity shot. Look at our Presidential election, if you need further proof of how shallow we have become.

Completely disagree with the negativity of this article. Sorry for this guy having to deal with Alz, but the fact is awareness is a key component that drives change. It doesn't matter what the cause is, bringing attention to it drives debate, discussion, revelation and ultimately pushes the needle.

My mother has Alzheimer's. The last 10 years of both our lives have been devastating in a way I can't even express. An outsider will never understand. Your article was excellent. I couldn't agree more! Excellent points. I would love it of someone offered to help ir listen tobme. It would make all the difference in the world. Even my own sister doesn't see the value if visiting our mother in the nursing home, so I pay a nursing student to be there with her a few times a week. That company, in addition to my visits and my husband's visits, is invaluable! A real life line. But why should I have to do that when in addition to me my mother has another daughter and NINE siblings?! Wake up, world!!

JessieB, I feel the same way about a lot of the "runs" and events put on to cure this, that, and the other thing. Last weekend there was a run at the local park that included a bouncy castle for the kids, a barbecue and a compliment of fire, ambulance and police services in support. The newspaper reported on what a successful fundraiser it was but I wonder at the cost of all the frills and who was paying the salaries of all those emergency services. On the other hand, sometimes you do need to spend money in order to make money, just look at all the charity lotteries as an example.
When I make a donation to a reputable charity I will take the time to request where exactly I want my dollars to be used, ie research, community programs, etc.

We have had a host of false positives as a result of research on mice Many Associations treat fund raising as a business venture forgetting the patient and caregiver. Very similar to the phama companies using the phase again, false positives. Let the buyer beware and do not be mislead . Challenge those seeking funds for an accounting, what for and demand progress reports. I am only optimistic that to control this pandemic our only hope is for someone with early onset be reversed, the only road to a cure..

I understand where Rick is coming from with what he wrote. There's an Alz run coming up soon. It will raise some money, which I'm sure is good. I don't know enough to know what this money goes for. Maybe some of it will go to research on the thoughts of inflammation & infection and amyloid plaques. That is hopeful. Maybe some will go for personal services. I really should look to see where the money goes.

The thing that did bother me about the runs is that we have people running up and down the block here all the time. They run past my mother without even a smile or a nod. If these are going to be the same people who are running for Alz, it seems a bit hypocritical. Why run for someone that you can't even slow down and say hi to?

I mentioned this on FB and was immediately attacked as being negative. Maybe so. But maybe it is because I am the only person in this world of 7 billion people who takes any time to talk to my mother. I understand what Rick is talking about. As someone in the trenches, I see the runs as social events for the runners. However, if the raise money for anything useful, the runs are good. I do wish we could get a better breakdown of what these funds are used for -- and not just generalities.

I don't agree with this article. My father had Alzheimer's for 10 years before passing away. My mom sat with him every single day. I live 70 miles away, and still work, so I could not do that. I strongly agree that everything you said about listening is spot on. I also agree that serious money is needed for research, but you're dead wrong about donations, and you're wrong about token efforts like wearing purple. Donations DO help - collectively, they add up to millions of dollars, and if wearing purple increases awareness, that leads to donations which DO help. Yes, donations go partly to salaries, but so does any government program and research effort - to make donations matter you have to research each charity to see how much money they pay for marketing or CEO salaries, but there are still good charities out there. Something is better than nothing, and your article implies that if you cannot have it all, then all we can do as individuals is give up on donating and listen to the victim. People can help in other ways - and donations is one of them. Something IS better than nothing, and you do a disservice to valid charities by claiming they don't matter. They have not found a cure yet, but they are certainly learning more and more about the brain, and all it takes is one AH-HA moment to find a cure with any disease. I'm an engineer and work for the Navy - technical problems are solved by AH-HA moments where new information, or information combined in new ways, create breakthroughs. Money helps (a lot), but all it takes is one person with a breakthrough, and there are charities working to find AH-HA moments... I have not personally worn purple for this cause, but if it helps raise donations - who am I to say it has no value?

Way too negative. Sorry for your despair. Many things will be tried before a disease can be prevented or cured, and progress goes too slowly for our desires. But progress can be made...look to issues like polio, smallpox, malaria, Ebola, measles, antibiotics, prosthetics, and more. And by the way, paying for salaries? Of course. How do you think things get done? To quote Monty Python, Look on the Brighter Side of Life.

Thanks for the logic and common sense in an article most are too afraid to write.

I have to disagree, donations DO make a difference and are the engine that drives medical research. Yes, it would be better if governments would fund more, if the world of medicine was purely altruistic and drug companies were not for profit and collaborated on their research, but that will remain a pipe dream in our lifetimes.
As to the feel good gesture like changing your profile pic to purple, too often that is all they are, gestures... remember the ice bucket challenge last year? If they are not followed up with any cold hard cash they are almost meaningless... I say almost because they do raise awareness and some sufferers take comfort in that feeling of solidarity. A cure soon, maybe not, maybe there will never be one, but every little piece of the puzzle leads us to better ways to handle the symptoms and slow the progression. It seems every generation has that one dreaded disease, TB, diabetes, cancer, dementia. Some we can beat, some we have just beat back, but with any we should work toward a better quality of life until we enter the next one.

Rick, beautifully written. You said it all. You make me really look forward to visiting my mother in assisted living today.

Clarity of written language and content in this article is in the exact center of the target.
Well done! Bravo Zulu! in Navy lingo.

The book "The Myth of Alzheimer's" aptly illustrates Rick's message. I highly recommend the book. It's an intelligent, caring read.