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The lives of Jose and Elaine Belardo were disrupted last year when he was diagnosed with the early onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Alex Smith / KCUR
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Alex Smith / KCUR
The life of Jose and Elaine Belardo was turned upside down last year when he was diagnosed with early Alzheimer's disease.
Alex Smith / KCUR
José Belardo of Lansing, Kansas, spent most of his career in the United States Public Health Service. He has worked on disaster front lines in places like Haiti, Colombia, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. At home with his three children and his wife, Elaine, he had always been infallibly reliable, so when he forgot their wedding anniversary two years in a row, they began to worry
"We have recognized that something was wrong. Says Elaine
but the symptoms have increased. Last year, while Jose was 50 years old, he was the subject of an assessment at the Walter Reed Medical Center that included a battery of cognitive tests and a PET scan of his brain. The analysis detects beta-amyloid plaques – clusters of protein fragments that accumulate particularly in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease (although some older people in good health also wear these plates).
Jose says his diagnosis of early onset of Alzheimer's disease came as an embarrassing shock. Still, he and his wife believe that it's better to have a diagnosis than no. Jose says that he is determined to try not to let the shock of the diagnosis distract him from living his life to the full. "
Rear-Admiral Jose Belardo traveled around the world and worked with national leaders in the US Public Health Service.
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Alex Smith / KCUR
Retired Rear Admiral José Belardo traveled around the world and worked with national leaders in the United States Public Health Service.
Alex Smith / KCUR
"I have responsibilities, man, I can not leave," Jose said. I have kids, I have upcoming degrees, I have all that stuff to come, I will not let Alzheimer's disease s.Mr. away from me.
The prospect of having Alzheimer's disease can be so scary, and the current treatment options so few, that many people dismiss memory problems or other symptoms rather than to study them, say Alzheimer's specialists; it is estimated that up to half of all cases are undiagnosed.
But that could soon change. Researchers are making progress in measuring biomarkers of beta-amyloid and other Alzheimer's in the blood that could possibly identify the disease reliably, inexpensively, and noninvasively years before cognitive symptoms develop
. t are widely available, and most other biomarker tests are still experimental. But John Morris, a researcher on Alzheimer's disease and a professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis, thinks that these physiological measures will mark a new chapter in the management of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer
"For example, sometimes a low level of thyroid hormone can"
And even though the underlying problem is Alzheimer's disease, a recent study of Alzheimer's & # 39; 39; s Association suggests that the state of dementia is similar to that of Alzheimer's disease. s that an accurate diagnosis of the disease at an early stage of mild cognitive impairment – or even before the symptoms appear – could save $ 64,000 per patient in terms of health and care costs. long term during his life.
Diagnosis also allows the patient to be more involved in planning for their own future and that of the family. This can help reduce the emotional burden of the disease on everyone.
Elaine Belardo says that she finds solace by reading the Bible and writing in her diary every morning in a small room in their basement.
Alex Smith / KCUR
hiding the legend
subtitle
Alex Smith / KCUR
Elaine Belardo says that she finds solace by reading the Bible and writing in her diary every morning in a small room in their basement.
Alex Smith / KCUR
After José Belardo's illness was diagnosed, the family rushed to put their affairs in order. They got in touch with the Alzheimer's Association, which provided support groups and other helpers.
And, as Elaine explains, the shock began to dissipate
"What I would say, is after being diagnosed with something that is incurable and progressive and possibly to be even aggressive: pause, breathe, and think about where the person is right at that moment, because at that time Jose did not die, Jose does not die. "
Researchers hope that more patients with Alzheimer's disease will be diagnosed early, more people with the disease will, like Jose, make the most of their health.
This story is part of NPR's relationship partnership with KCUR and Kaiser Health News. Alex Smith is a health reporter at KCUR in Kansas, City, Mo.
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