Sample Reading: Introduction
Pam woke up talking to a dog. The words were mostly unintelligible, but she clearly said, “Come here little doggy.” It was 2 a.m. She has been in bed for seven months now. There are days when she is hallucinating, cannot form more than two words, eyes closed most of the day, fearful of being turned, joints stiff, and we do not know when she will take a turn for the worse. Then there are days when she is so happy in her confinement and able to respond clearly.
This is a love story. This is a story of sacrificial love, a story of how a disease completely bonded two people together, a husband
doing his loving duty, and his wife’s final acceptance of loving care. We learn some of the deepest intimate moments of caring for his Pamela. Her kindness shines through. And in a way, her beauty inside and out has outsmarted this terrible disease.
Each person afflicted with this disease may display different symptoms. Since Pam was happy most of the time, many have said that she was exceptional. Pam’s early life was exceptionally happy. Before moving to the family, Zeter farmhouse, she spent her early years on State Road in Anderson Township, Cincinnati, where her dad had a swimming pool built for the family, which was rare for families in those days. Her parents were happy, especially her mother, Alice Zeter. Her dad, Merrell Zeter was a successful businessman. Pam became an excellent swimmer, which would prove to be prophetic in meeting her future husband, Chet.
Not all persons afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease experience this kind of happiness. Some afflicted with this disease may be very angry, and prone to wandering, but grief and sadness are a common thread for caregivers and can be overwhelming.
Looking back on Pam’s lifestyle, was it her drastic diet change that could have had an effect? Was it her undetected hypothyroidism before her seizure? Could it have been her last pregnancy with almost a total loss of blood? Or perhaps her perfectionist personality trait? Doctors and scientists do not know what causes early and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The probable causes may relate to age-related factors, genetics, environmental, and lifestyle factors.