My Greatest Fear

My greatest fear isn’t being told that I have cancer. My greatest fear is being told that I have Alzheimer’s disease. The thought of not being able to remember the happiest or even the saddest moments in my life frightens me. Or not being able to remember the names of my family members and friends. The thought of having to depend on others to help me with the simple tasks in life – like getting dressed – is depressing. Or not being able to communicate my thoughts with others.

These are just a few symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia and a very progressive disease. This disease can start damaging the brain up to ten years before symptoms start surfacing. It usually affects people age 65 and older. Those between the ages of 30 to 60 could be diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.

This disease scares me so much because my Grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when she was 88. 

It hurt to witness her not remember some of the details of her own life or mine. There were times when she couldn’t remember my name or would repeat the same information over and over again. She passed away five years later - long before the final stages of this disease had the opportunity to take over.

In 2009, I came across the book, “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. I was immediately drawn to this book because the main character, Alice, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This weekend, I finally watched the movie starring Julianne Moore.

There was one part in the movie when Alice said you can’t let the disease define who you are. She’s absolutely right. Being diagnosed with any kind of disease is just another chapter in your book of life.

Even though I fear being diagnosed with an illness at some point in my life, I can’t let those fears  dictate the kind of life I want to live. The one thing I took away from watching “Still Alice” is to create memories while living in the moment. For me, that means capturing my memories with my camera. Documenting my thoughts and experiences in a journal and spending as much time with family and friends.

None of us know what the future holds. That’s why it’s so important to live each day as if it’s our last. Spend time doing the things you love with the people you love.

What’s the one illness you hope you will never get?

Feel free to share this post on your favourite Social Media Networks.

Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)