Fritzerland

My father was a hard-workingman. Like everyone, he had flaws – but he loved me and I loved him. In April 2015 he was diagnosed with vascular dementia. You can learn a huge amount from watching the bravery of people who have Alzheimer’s and dementia. I began writing about my father and Alzheimer’s shortly after he was diagnosed. I was stunned, realizing in six months time he had no memory of my mother and their (nearly) 46 years of marriage. This Sunday I downloaded the movie Still Alice. Julianne Moore is an Oscar favorite for her portrayal of a woman with dementia. Alice, a linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. I am my father’s son, temperamentally and physically, so I have to be mindful of it. If it starts to happen, I will be scared and I hope I have someone like my wife and children around to care for me – and that, as a society, we are better at dealing with it. I feel so much sympathy for everyone who Continue Reading