By participating in A Ride to Remember, I'm taking on the enormous physical challenge and personal adventure of cycling across South Carolina. I've also committed to raising awareness and funds to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association®.
Since 2021 and my adventure with illness with Covid, I personally have a small insight to people with early phase of Alzheimer’s disease. I discovered that I began to develop Long Covid before it was known to be an issue. Some of my core issues that started to show was chronic fatigue, irritability, heart rate changes, heat intolerance, passing out and neuro issues. this included tasks like inability to filter and process verbal conversation, along with Memory loss and not feeling the ground I walked on. To be honest, I thought I was going CRAZY.
I got to a point in my life where I was unable to function and needed assistance to just make it through each day. I was no longer able to work, do chores and be around people. It took 2 years to learn what was going on with me. We got help from MUSC, contact at other University research departments, along with my doctor’s doing research. The hunt to find pieces of the puzzle to put together a plan was a slow process. I had to learn new ways to think and process visual and verbal information. I then slowly began to rebuild my life and accepting changes in myself.
I am not the same person I was pre covid. Unlike people with Alzheimer’s, I eventually found some hope as things improved. With the help from MUSC and Vocational Rehab giving me some tools to help retrain my brain on processing incoming information, it improved my memory issues. No, it is not 100% the same as before, I still forget some stuff, but I improved and I am still seeing slow improvements.
I have lost family to Alzheimer’s and the loss of watching them go through the process is like losing them twice. Words cannot express the hurt of your grandparent or family member not recalling you as you are, but only as a younger person, then not at all. The real pain is watching them struggle with the impact of the disease.
This is what the fight for Alzheimer’s is all about, finding the missing pieces of the puzzle. Finding a way to slow down the disease and to give people hope on the way to a Cure.
Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Now is the time to come together to change the course of this disease! I have been impacted with grandparent and other family members with this disease. I support the effort in finding a cure before one day I may need assistance. The risk is real and the impact is great.
Please support my efforts by making a donation. All funds raised benefit the Alzheimer's Association and its work to enhance care and support programs and advance research toward methods of treatment, prevention and, ultimately, a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Thank you for joining the fight against Alzheimer’s disease! Your support means the world to me on this memorable journey!
Cheer Me On!