My journey began when I was born in Dover, Ohio, many years ago in 1945. Although it took me a long time to realize I was on a journey, I think I became aware back in 1997 when I was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease by Dr. Bartram in Canton, Ohio. I was a few years from retirement, although I tended not to think about it. I enjoyed what I did for a living. I had been a social workers for over 25 years, having also served as youth director and pastor in different churches. I was able to do what I had always wanted to do and trained to do, working with individuals and their needs.
During my last employment I served as a court appointed guardian for those who had no one else to serve them....senior citizens who were neglected, abused and exploited. I soon discovered that senior abuse was a wide spread problem. I assessed the case and would serve my agency in court as a witness to what situation the senior was in, along with an attorney. I was known in my community and in the probate court system. Then there came a time when I began to question, to doubt my memory, which began to complicate my job of many years of service to the degree where I was no longer able to function as I always had in the past.
Work was a strong ethic passed on to me by my father. I prided myself in caring and being able to master what had to be accomplished for the sake of those I served. I began slipping and it only seemed to get worse day by day. What was happening to me? What did I have? What was causing my memory loss and causing me to be unable to carry out my work assignments? My memory was terrible. I could no longer follow notes or even keep up with the paper work for each case. I began to panic, to have anxiety attacks, to lose control. I became clinically depressed. My journey and many of my goals seemed to take an abrupt turn and my life became a nightmare.
In August 2003 I went to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Neill Graff-Radford diagnosed me with possible Lewy Body Disease. In the next year's follow up visit in November 2004 he changed the diagnoses to Alzheimer's Disease with Lewy Body components. For more information on Lewy Body disease go to: http://lewybodydementia.org. For more information on the Alzheimer's Association go to: http://www.alz.org
I would like to invite you to come along with me on this journey as I explore my feelings, try to gain insight into what has and is happening to me, bringing in my past, my dreams and goals, my successes and failures. Perhaps you will find something along the way that you can relate to, something of interest, something to help you through a troubled time in your life. Perhaps you may find an answer or some information that will comfort or help you to understand how many issues one can have who gets Alzheimer's Disease at a younger age. What does someone look like that has Alzheimer's Disease or Lewy Body Disease and what are some of the issues with which we deal daily? I share with lots of every day experiences, laughter and hope in tomorrow. Please join me on My Journey. Come and travel with me as I enter a place that has a long good-bye.
My website address is: http://www.zarcrom.com/users/alzheimers/chip.html
I can be contacted through e-mail at: cglaughter1@wmconnect.com
Chip Gerber
Chip and Sharon
Highlights Of Chips Testimony before the House of Representatives |
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