i have just been on the verge of tears all day. i get so upset that people have no idea what eoad is. thay think it is an early stage of ad. the public needs more education on ad,and education on eoad period. i am not talking about just the world wide web. i am talking about the tv commericals and public service announcements. where do they show the true deep down facts? where are the people with eoad? it is not acknowledged,not on tv. the true deep down facts are swept under the rug,so to speak. everything is sugar coated. they show an older person that forgets names,then after they take meds they seem to be okay again. how false,how misleading,how untrue! how can they get by with this? don't you think people would be more prepared financially,mentally,and spiritually,if they knew the whole truth? if they knew it could strike them or a loved one in the prime of their lives,don't you think people would set up and notice? don't you think if there was more awareness and real education,there would be more funding and contributations? don't you think people have a right to know? or do you think people don't want to know? we certainly. would have been more prepared. i would have known to get dh to the dr sooner,and not listened when drs said there was nothing wrong with him,or maybe depression. i just get so upset when commericals come on and they are just covering up the true facts. and there is no awareness of eoad at all. i guess you can tell it is a bad day. i am so angry and frustrated that i could go outside and scream at the top of my lungs. this is such a horrible journey. and my precious,dear husband deserves so much more out of life. i am so sorry, but i have nowhere else to vent. i can't write anymore,now. i am too sad...sad...sad... jav

jav,

Take some deep breaths. We don't want you getting sick over this.

There is something you can do about it. It's called awareness and advocacy. Tony and Trish started it. Go to the EOAD section on the left side of the home page of this website - www.thealzheimerspouse.com. Tony bugged his local newspaper enough that they did 4 articles on him and his family's struggle with EOAD. (Unfortunately,the newspaper didn't keep most of his links active, but I do have hard copies that I am going to scan into the computer). There are also two CBS videos in that section on EOAD, one of which features our reader, Trish's husband Bob.

These people made the decision to go public with their stories in hopes of raising awareness of EOAD. Read the side topic on the Washington DC forum. Tony did a great job bringing his story to the senators and representatives with whom he had appointments.

If there was one thing we all learned from our Washington trip is that we need to make noise, and a lot of it. Contact your local newspaper reporters and TV reporters. Contact your senators and representatives. Let these people hear your story and those of others you know. The more people who come forward with their stories, the more the public will learn, and the more interested the politicians with the money will be.

The only way people will know will be if we tell them. Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton (now if those two polar opposites can agree on something, anything is possible) are on a committee studying Alzheimer's Disease. Check this link to read about it and contact the study group with your story. http://www.alzstudygroup.org/

Also, contact Joann Webster - She is the Early Onset Coordinator in Oklahoma, but she can give you information and set you in the right direction if you are interested in getting the word out on EOAD. Her Direct Line (918) 481-7746 and her email is joann.webster@alz.org.

Tony took all of his anger and frustration and put it into advocacy and raising awareness of EOAD.

joang