book review - still alice

Finally I get to borrow this book from our library and finish it. It’s a book and it’s a movie too now. And I know for sure that my kids won’t want to go see with me so I read the book.

I can only understand why they want to put this book into movie, so touch, from the point of the patient’s view to see and describe the world around her, from the day she feels something not quite right with her to been diagnose probably is an Alzheimer’s victim to know for sure that she has Alzheimer’s disease.

I tear a lot over this book. Especially the describes about Alice attend the national Alzheimer’s association, the speech and when she read the letter that she write to herself before she lost all the memories.

The author, Lisa Genova, with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She’s been interview a lot of activities and in contact with the people who are close to Alzheimer’s disease including the patients themselves, the caregivers, doctors and the like.

There are so much that I learn from this book and the author including being brave to write. Go to her web you’ll find more.

Book - Still Alice http://lisagenova.com/still-alice/

One thing got me a lot of thinking is, should we do or not to do the genetic disease screening program about whether we might be the candidate of certain kind of genetic disease? I totally agree that kind of test with fetal or I should say embryo instead.  But with kids or adults is that necessary, may be in some way. As I ever heard people say, “you are killed by you own fears not the disease”.

Being educated about diseases and get involved in the support groups are so important. The professional support groups or just regular ones like with the patients’ family. And also support groups of any kind for our daily lives, no one can survive without companions, but just be ware of which type people you are being with, if you don’t think you can have a good impact from them, leave, quick, before it’s too late.

Still Alice Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrXrZ5iiR0o

i'll be me

"I'm Not Gonna Miss You", a song quite catching, mix with relief and sadness. 

Recently, I’ve read, “Slow Dancing with a Stranger”, a life story about Alzheimer's disease, from a patient’s wife’s view’s illustration. Then I heard about the movie of “Still Alice”, I’m planning to read this book too, since there’s very little chance that I’ll see this movie. And then is this song, “I'm Not Gonna Miss You", the inside story of a legendry country music singer.

Three of the stories’s main roles were diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease. They all choice to face it, instead ignore or run away from it, they are really brave. Especially the celebrity well-known people, some of them choice to hide away or even finish their lives, so fans can only remember their good of everything. 

Glen Campbell - "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" - A Scene from the Film "Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DvH0_CxlrBQ&itct=CBYQpDAYBSITCOO61_Gv98MCFYG6vgodnjcARzIHcmVsYXRlZEjc0Irdmvy35Ec%3D 

Glen Campbell Farewell

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S6J99mWFqMU

I'm still here, but yet I'm gone
I don't play guitar or sing my songs
They never defined who I am
The man that loves you 'til the end

You're the last person I will love
You're the last face I will recall
And best of all, I'm not gonna miss you
Not gonna miss you

I'm never gonna hold you like I did
Or say I love you to the kids
You're never gonna see it in my eyes
It's not gonna hurt me when you cry

I'm never gonna know what you go through
All the things I say or do
All the hurt and all the pain
One thing selfishly remains

I'm not gonna miss you 

book review - Slow Dancing with a Stranger

Slow Dancing with a Stranger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMjR08OHxVM

This really life story truly catch my thought. I have a friend that her son has bipolar. Also some other’s friend close relatives have similar diseases like doctor Gralnick.

And I and my pastor and some other church members have been visiting and serving the nursing home, rehabilitation center and senior apartment for some time. I truly can see what she see and feel about it, the depression, burden, hurt, pain, worry, fear, hopeless and many other down words that you cannot even image and describe about it.

But no one can say more about how much they can feel what they feel, simply because you are not the one who’s involved with that personally.

Again she is a hero; such a courageous and strong woman can take it and willing to take care of her love ones, her husband and her mom, when they are literally and gradually losing all they used to have including, all the senses.

Such a shame, such a brilliant doctor and lady, used to cure and help some many others, now is in deep sick. There’s no way out and no turning point.

Stay with home care or go to the nursing home facilities, is really hard to say or make the decisions.

This book also is an encouragement to who are in the same circumstance. A reference for the people who is going to involve with as a caregiver, either as a relative or outsider, it probably as well relieve some old doubts or misunderstanding from the past between relatives, friends and so forth.

Some of the touching quotes from her book.

 "He has slowly been robbed of what we all take for granted—the ability to navigate the mundane activities of daily living: bathing, shaving, dressing, feeding, and using the bathroom. His inner clock is confused and can't be reset. His eyes are vacant and unaware."

“If neglected they did not remember and if abused they forget “.

"No one deserves to be forgotten in life because their disease is without hope."