My late husband died at 75 from Alzheimers. He suffered from Korean combat related PTSD. He was a chronic worrier, and as was pointed out when he finally went to AA for his alcoholism, he harbored resentments. He was hit on the head several times because of street crime, and at 63 his school was moved from one location to another. He had a hard time with that move and at 66, I think this became apparent to the administration and he was encouraged to retire. His mother was also in a nursing home for a number of years and died at I think 82. His morbidly obese father died at I think 68.
On the other hand, my life has been relatively stress free ;-). I have always been basically cheerful and optimistic. My parents were not happily married. My husband of 44 years started drinking after the 2nd year of marriage, after about 10 years I would say he was a full fledged alcoholic, but he never missed a day of work. I lived in fear of his temper, and sheltered our 2 children from his outbursts. Finally, his friends took him to AA and he stopped drinking. Then in 1995 my mother was seriously ill and I cared for her for 4 months because she wanted to die at home which she did. Then my father died and my brother and I had to fix up an liquidate 6 low income rental properties. By that time it was clear my husband had alzheimers. For the last 3 years I cared for him 24/7/365, and he wanted to die at home too, which he did in 2005. Then the city “attacked” me for neglecting my property for those 10 years, and I struggled for over 2 years getting out from under Condemnation proceedings.
At any rate, I now continue to optimistic and happy and have a wonderful, non-drinking man in my life probably permanently at my age of 74 My mother died at 89 of congestive heart failure, my father at 99 of a stroke. They were both mentally lucid near the end at least when well rested.
So, the question is, why do I have absolute mental clarity at roughly the same age that my husband died, who had only been able to remember for 10 or 15 seconds for the previous 4 years. We ate roughly the same, my healthy cooking, and I give/gave us both a collection of vitamins and minerals tailered to our individuality. I think there is much more to it than the article suggests. I can remember 30 years earlier, my husband would get a sort of blank look for a few seconds and seem to not be all there. Never affected his driving though. My mother would ask if I was sure he did not have petit mal epilepsy, but that did not seem likely. The search for answers must continue.
From my reading on Alzheimer’s there is a fairly large hereditary component; most likely susceptibility that other conditions trigger. Those triggers may be worry or life style. I doubt that they will ever be able to nail down the triggers. A hereditary gene they probably will find.
I must say that you must be a very strong individual to have endured all that you did and manage to maintain a positive attitude.
Congratulations on a life well lived.
The search for answers must continue.
Your positive approach to life in general has given me a lift this afternoon. Neither my wife's parents or mine, died of dementia. Her people in their sixties and mine just about hit ninety years.
We are well above retirement age and keep on a healty diet plus vitamins. Once in while cannot remember this or that. Anyway, having got the all clear about that old demon, caffein via coffee, life is pretty good. Wife cannot stand the stuff. My choice. I read my reply in part to my wife and she thinks "there are many causes to dementia". She mentioned a lady at the retirement home, where my daughter works, who has dementia and she often asks about the ferry. Long gone from twin Canadian and American citys. She is apparently happy. She talks about the dances she wants to go to the Saturday one at the military base (WW2).
A bit of a ramble, but I am sincerely glad for you. Old country saying for you.
"Turned out nice again."
I'm assuming you meant that as a sarcastic joke.
It sounds like you might have good genes. But I am interested in whether you think that something about your attitude might also have protected you somewhat from stress.
Also, it times of great stress, would you say that you do anything to "get away" or avoid thinking about it, even for a short time.