This was the title of a column by Dr. Komaroff. It appeared in today's paper and here is my e mail to him: I am a dementia widow very active on the AlzAssoc online forum as well as one devoted to spouse caregivers. We feel the "use it or lose it theory" is a grave disservice to those affected with a brain disease and to their caregivers. "helpful" folks read your advice and then blame us for giving poor care. Many of our spouses were brilliant people and it makes no difference. AD isn't selective. Pleae differentiate between normal aging and true dementia.
It was in the St. Lucie Trib. It's actually a question and answer column but it bugged me. I'm on my way out the door now to make an 11th hour hospice visit. Pt. is dying and alone.
Second thought-here is the good doc's site: www.AskDoctorK.com.
Thank you for your email. Please note that due to the volume of correspondence I receive, I am not able to respond individually to each email. If you have submitted a health question you'd like addressed in the Ask Doctor K column, it will be reviewed and considered. Regrettably, I cannot answer all of the questions I receive, but I will do my best to cover as many reader-submitted topic areas as possible. If you are in need of immediate health care services or need personal medical advice, please contact your physician.
Wishing you good health, Anthony Komaroff, M.D. www.AskDoctorK.com
I wonder if Dr. Komaroff selected the article title, or whether that was done by the editorial staff? Does he make such a statement (that activity will prevent AD) in the article body? It seemed to me that that, primarily, was also the problem with Jean Carper's book. The misleading title.
Since this was a Q&A column it seems likely that the editor is at fault.
Still Bluedaze...your point and the precision with which you make it are well done and I hope will get through to those who should know better by now than to make such silly statements.
I can tell you from sad experience that the editors choose the titles in order to "grab" people's attention. I will never forget what happened to me when I first started this website. I was interviewed at length via the phone by a doctor at Mt. Sinai in New York for an article she was doing on spouses and AD for CNN. I was so excited to be able to get my message out to such a wide audience. The day the article came out, she e-mailed me, giving me the link, telling me that it was the most read article on CNN.com that day. When I clicked on it, I almost had a heart attack. It was titled, "Married her Friend, Living with a Monster." I had made a comment in the interview that Sid's personality changed so drastically, that he behaved like a monster. I was absolutely sick over the title, and wrote a blog about what I wanted the focus of the article to be, and that I did not think my husband was a monster.
However, the horrible title did its job. That article was a big part of how this site became so well known.
It astonishes me how many actors get AD, considering that using memory is their stock in trade. Lots of artistic people, composers, writers and athletes. I've never heard anyone say that Mom was a couch potato who watched soap operas all day. They always say she was a teacher, active in church, volunteered. My DH, like everyone else on this site should not have had AD because he was always physically & mentally active. I was the sedentary one. If interested, please visit my web site, and scroll down to 'You're in Good Company.' Dozens and dozens of famous people, they spent their lives 'using it.'
My web site is in the left-hand column of Joan's home page, or go to: www.caregiving4alz.com
It was in our paper today too and I just gasped. This is not the first article our paper has printed, not their writer, but some AP or some such article. My mom was a surgical supervisor before we kids came along and my uncle was the CEO of Sunkist...yep Sunkist! A company that dealt with international fruit growers. Both these people were brilliant and well read, and active and both got this disease. I am so sick of the smoke and mirrors... Now it is read and do mind games...before it was HRT to protect your bones and brains... Good letter and I think we should all write letters to our editors about this disease.