Episode 14 | Alzheimer's: A Daughter's Story | Guest: Michelle Guzman
Approximately 5.7 million people in the U.S. currently have Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memories and thinking skills. It is the only top-10 cause of death in the United States with no known cure, with new cases developing every 65 seconds.* Alzheimer's is known as the "long goodbye," and no one knows this better than my guest and close friend, Michelle Guzman. Michelle joins us today to share a comprehensive guide to Alzheimer's for caregivers, patients advocates and patients.
In 2015, Michelle's dad started exhibiting concerning symptoms: Difficulty recalling plans and forgetting details, despite being a career CPA and riding his bike 50-100 miles each weekend. Mentally and physically, he had always been fitter than most. His family joked that he would outlive the rest of them, until the day easy-to-ignore signs turned serious: Michelle received a phone call from California Highway Patrol that her dad had turned up lost in Ventura County, CA, more than two hours away from his home.
So began Michelle and her dad's abrupt journey into the world of Alzheimer's. As an only child, Michelle bore the weight of the entire responsibility of his care, his health, his residence, his whereabouts, and his wherewithal, all while slowly losing him to the depths of the disease. Today, Michelle is sharing publicly her story for the first time, getting into the minute details of what transpired, what she wished she knew, what she learned, and how she's managed to maintain her sanity over the past eight years. Michelle bravely and vulnerably shares:
- A definition of Alzheimer's in layman's terms
- A celebration of their relationship before Alzheimer's
- Her dad's medical, health and fitness history before Alzheimer's
- Why Alzheimer's is called "The Long Goodbye"
- The stages of Alzheimer's and what happens to the patient during each phase
- Early warning signs she missed and/or rationalized
- The medical evaluation process her dad went through to get to a formal diagnosis
- Tips and questions she wish she had known beforehand
- The types of doctors that were involved, and which type to ask about
- Her and her dad's reaction to his diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan
- Defining Alzheimer's inevitable "step downs" and how to manage through them
- The detailed list of responsibilities she found herself in charge of
- How she found the right assisted living facility for her dad
- How she has maintained her sanity and support system
- What nobody sees from the outside in terms of what family's go through
- What she wishes doctors would have informed her of beforehand
- How and when she knew it was time to put her dad into hospice
- Her perspective looking back on her eight year journey
*Source: US Against Alzheimer's
