Tag early stage Alzheimer’s

On a Personal Note…Wah Ho Chan

Wah Ho Chan, living with Alzheimer's, speaks at the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Silicon Valley

I’ve been married to Martha for 30 years. We have two daughters who are now adults and a granddaughter who just started kindergarten.

I moved to the Bay Area because of my best friend from seventh grade David. He ended up here, and when I came to visit him, I decided to stay. We were going to make movies. We took film classes at De Anza College, and then I worked there, first as an assistant and later as a teacher. I got into the Stanford film program, became a cameraman and did that work for 30+ years.

About four years ago, my wife and daughters noticed something that seemed to be more than my usual forgetfulness. I couldn’t do simple math anymore and I couldn’t figure out how to put things together that I would have done in my sleep before. Continue reading “On a Personal Note…Wah Ho Chan” »

Today’s heros: Our Early Stage Support Group

Leave a comment below to let us know about the everyday heroes in your life! In honor of Alzheimer’s Action Day on September 21, we are highlighting 21 Everyday Heroes. Today, we’re rounding out our last heroes by highlighting the amazing people with Early Stage Alzheimer’s in one of our support groups. This extraordinary group meets to support each other, share stories, give advice — but they are passionate about raising awareness of what it’s like to have this disease. We’ll be featuring content on our blog from them as they tell us what they want everyone to know about Alzheimer’s. For starters, they answer the question “What advice would you give someone who was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?” Here’s what they have to say:

  • Find a group! You be able to learn from others, identify with what others are talking about and feel supported by the group. It’s an opportunity to speak openly and honestly.
  • Talk to a physician about Alzheimer’s disease and make sure they do a brain scan
  • At the beginning, we felt: Anger – didn’t want to tell everyone; Denial – thinking it will go away; Vulnerability – my role was taken away from me; Sadness – I didn’t think it was true
  • Just give yourself time and freedom
  • Keep trying, even on the rough days
  • This disease is challenging
  • Routine can be comforting
  • It’s not going to go away
  • Go with the flow

People with Alzheimer’s speak out: What they want you to know

A few people with early stage Alzheimer’s recently shared with me a list they came up with that expresses what they think their care partners need to know. I thought it was very well done and wanted to share some of their insights with a broader audience. Continue reading “People with Alzheimer’s speak out: What they want you to know” »

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