“Ngangiseqophelweni eliphezulu emsebenzini wami...nginqanyulwe esikhundleni sami..kwangihlukumeza kakhulu.”

Kuleli sonto sibusiswe nge-akhawunti yokuqala evela kothile njengoba okwamanje ebhekene nokuhlonzwa kwesifo i-Alzheimer's esiqala sibancane. Siqhuba uhlelo lomsakazo olulotshiwe olusuka kokuthi Umsindo Wemibono ongaqala ngaso ekuqaleni ngokuchofoza LAPHA. Sizwa indaba yentokazi eneminyaka engu-60 eyayiseqophelweni eliphezulu emsebenzini wayo lapho ingaboni ngaso linye ngenxa yokuxilongwa kwe-Mild Cognitive Impairment. Funda ukuze uthole ukuthi kwenzekeni ngokulandelayo...

UMike McIntyre

Manje simema ohlelweni, u-Joan Euronus, uhlala e-Hudson futhi uyisiguli se-Alzheimer's esisakhula. Sifuna ukuthola umbono womuntu odonsa kanzima. Kwakuyizwi lelo uJulianne Moore esetshenziswe ngolunye usuku, mayelana nokuzabalaza hhayi ukuhlushwa yilesi sifo. Joan wamukelekile ohlelweni siyabonga ngokwenza isikhathi sethu.

Joan

Ngiyabonga.

UMike McIntyre

Ake ngikubuze kancane ngodaba lwakho, watholakala unamiphi iminyaka?

Joan

Ngatholakala ngineminyaka engu-62 ubudala.

UMike McIntyre

Osemusha.

Joan

Kulungile, kodwa ngaba ngowokuqala ukubona izinkinga eziningi ngokwami. Ngaqala ukuba nezinkinga zenkumbulo lapho sengicela eminyakeni engu-50 futhi lapho ngineminyaka engu-60 ngaya kudokotela wami ngamtshela ngokukhathazeka kwami ​​angithumele kudokotela. nodokotela wezinzwa okwathi ngaleso sikhathi lapho ngineminyaka engu-60 wangithola nginokukhubazeka okuncane kwengqondo futhi wangitshela nokuthi kungenzeka phakathi neminyaka emibili ngibe nesifo i-Alzheimer's. Lapho ngineminyaka engu-62, eminyakeni emi-2 kamuva, kwatholakala ukuthi nginesifo Isifo i-Alzheimer's siqala sibancane.

UMike McIntyre

Ngingabuza iminyaka yakho namuhla?

Joan

Ngingu-66.

UMike McIntyre

Usuphile nalokhu kuxilongwa iminyaka emi-4 ngitshele kancane mayelana nokuthi kukuthinta kanjani nsuku zonke. Ingabe ziyizinkinga zenkumbulo, izinkinga zokudideka?

Joan

Well ... kokubili. Sengisebenze emkhakheni wezokunakekelwa kwempilo iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-20 futhi udaba lwaqala ngokuba yimenenja jikelele a esibhedlela Nganginomthwalo wemfanelo wawo wonke umsebenzi wohlelo. Ukuqasha abasebenzi, ukukhula, i-PNL, kanye nesabelomali. Kwase kuba nzima kimina, kwangithatha isikhashana ukufeza leyo migomo. Engangiqala ukukwenza kwakuwukusebenzisa amanothi amaningi eposi.

Bengiduka nezikhombisi-ndlela nokufunda izinhlelo ezintsha emsebenzini. Lezo zithuthukile ngakho ngahoxiswa esikhundleni sami ngo-Ephreli 2011 futhi kwaba buhlungu kakhulu. Ngangiseqophelweni eliphezulu emsebenzini wami wokuba imenenja-jikelele endaweni yokunakekelwa kwabagulela ukufa. Bengicabanga ukuthi ngizosebenza ngize ngithathe umhlalaphansi ngakho-ke kufanele ngiqhubeke nokukhubazeka engibonga okuhle engikutholile Izinsizakalo zeMedicare. Ngangingenayo enye imali yomshuwalense, ngangingafaneleki ukuthola i-Medicare, ngangimncane kakhulu ngakho ngangena kumshwalense wabayeni bami. Wayehlela ukuthatha umhlalaphansi kodwa ngenxa yokuthi “ngingakwazi ukusebenza,” kwadingeka aqhubeke nokusebenza. Umzabalazo kimi yizinto esezishintshile manje, abantu bazothi “Uyakhumbula sikwenza lokhu 5-6 years ago mina ngizothi cha. Ngokukhuthazwa okuncane kanye nokuqeqesha okuncane ngizokukhumbula. Isibonelo nje ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi ngavalelisa kumkhwenyana wami futhi esikhundleni sokuthi ngithi uKhisimusi omuhle ngathi usuku lokuzalwa oluhle. Ngiyazibamba futhi lezi yizimpawu zokuthi “kuzokwenzekani lokhu,” lapho ngesinye isikhathi ngingeke ngikhumbule ukuthi oh uKhisimusi akulona usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa.

Kunzima kakhulu, umzabalazo onzima kakhulu kodwa uyahlupheka ngesikhathi esifanayo. Ukuhlupheka kwalo ukuthi ukuhlupheka engikucabangayo ngomyeni wami ozoba futhi ongumnakekeli wami, ukuthi kuzoba nzima kangakanani. Umama wami washona ngenxa ye-Alzheimer's, umama nobaba babeneminyaka engu-69 beshadile futhi ubaba wayengumnakekeli wakhe yedwa. Ngiwubonile umonakalo owenziwe yisifo kuyena nokwagcina kumenze washona lokho kuyakhathaza. Akukho lutho okwamanje engingazenzela lona kodwa nginokholo nethemba elikhulu ocwaningweni lwe-Alzheimer's Associations kangangokuthi ngesikhathi esithile bayongitholela ikhambi kanye nokwelashwa okuvimba ukuqhubeka. Kodwa lokhu kudinga ucwaningo oluningi kanye noxhaso oluningi kodwa ngisenalo ithemba, uma kungenjalo ngokwami, kwabanye abaningi abazobe bengenwe yilesi sifo esibhubhisayo.