THERE
THERE ARE
THERE ARE A FEW CONCOCTIONS 4@ THEY'LL BE SHARING. >>> FIRST TONIGHT, TRACY LYNN
HAD A FULL 4@AND HAPPY LIFE.
SHE WAS AN EPISCOPAL PRIEST IN
CLEVELAND WITH FRIENDS AND
COLLEAGUES SHE LOVED AND WORK 4@
THAT SHE FOUND EXCEPTIONALLY
REWARDING.
>> BUT SHE KNEW SOMETHING WAS
WRONG.
AND WHEN SHE WENT 4@TO A DOCTOR
THE DIAGNOSIS WAS DEVASTATING.
SHE HAD EARLY STAGE FRONTAL
TEMPORAL DETERIORATION, A TYPE
OF DEMENTIA.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW IT'S
CHANGED HER LIFE.
>> I 4@SAT DOWN WITH 4@HER
WHERE&ASKED HER, WHEN SHE BEGAN
TO REALIZE SHE HAD A PROBLEM
SHE COULD NO LONGER IGNORE?
>> I WAS NOT RECOGNIZING FACES @
OF PEOPLE THAT I CLEARLY KNEW.
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH
SOMEBODY, ONLY TO LEARN 4@HE WA
ONE OF MY CONSULTANTS.
AND THEN I HAD THIS EPISODE OF
-- I WAS STANDING IN A 4@REST
ROOM, WASHING MY HANDS, LOOKING
IN THE MIRROR, AND I DIDN'T
RECOGNIZE MY OWN FACE.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?
>> WELL, 4@AT FIRST, I THOUGHT,
WELL, WHO IS THAT CUTE WOMAN? 4@
AND THEN I WAS TERRIFIED.
>> THE DIAGNOSIS THAT THE
DOCT4@OR GAVE YOU WAS THAT YOU
HAD A FORM OF EARLY-ONSET
DEMENTIA.
WHEN YOU HEARD THAT NEWS, WHAT
WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD?
>> I WAS RELIEVED TO 4@KNOW THA
I WASN'T CRAZY. 4@
THAT THERE REALLY WAS SOMETHING
WRONG WITH ME AND THEREFORE 4@M
BEHAVIOR AND MY PROBLEMS WERE
REAL AND NOT JUST BURNOUT OR
DEPRESSION OR 4@A FIGMENT OF MY
IMAGINATION.
I WAS ALSO JUST 4@HEARTBROKEN,
THAT MY CAREER WAS GOING TO END
SOONER THAN I HAD THOUGHT.
THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO END
SOONER THAN I HAD THOUGHT.
AND THAT OUR 4@DREAMS WERE SORT
OF SHATTERED.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT THAT YOU PRAYED
TO GOD, THAT YOU COULD JUST GET
YOUR OLD LIFE BACK.
THAT THINGS COULD JUST GO BACK
TO THE WAY THEY WERE.
>> OF COURSE.
>> YOU KNOW, ONE DAY, YOU'RE
FEAR LITTLE.
AND THE NEXT DAY, YOU'RE
TENTATIVE AND YOU'RE ANXIOUS. 4@
AND YOU'RE NOT THE YOU YOU ONCE
KNEW.
>> WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS
OF THIS CONDITION?
WHAT WILL IT DO TO YOU?
>> WELL, FRONTAL TEMPORAL
DEGENERATION IS A SHRINKAGE 4@O
THE FRONTAL AND TEMPORAL LOBES,
SO THAT THE BRAIN THAT 4@RESULT
ULTIMATELY IN A PROGRESSIVE
DECLINE IN 4@LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR
MOBILITY AND EXECUTIVE
FUNCTION, THAT IS DECISION-
MAKING AND PLANNING AND 4@
MANAGING.
AT SOME POINT IN TIME, I WON'T
BE ABLE TO TALK.
I DON'T -- 4@I 4@DON'T KNOW IF
BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE.
BUT PROBABLY WON'T BE VERY
MOBILE.
AND THEY TELL ME AT THE END, I
WON'T BE ABLE TO SWALLOW.
>> YOU'RE 4@A PERSON OF DEEP
RELIGIOUS FAITH.
YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD ABOUT 4@
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU.
WHAT DO YOU SAY IN THOSE
CONVERSATIONS?
>> WELL, I THINK IN THE
BEGINNING, IT WAS, YOU KNOW,
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
AND THIS ISN'T FAIR.
AND YOU 4@KNOW, I'VE TRIED TO 4@
TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.
AND -- BUT 4@NOW, THE
CONVERSATION IS BECOMING MORE
OF CURIOSITY AND GRATITUDE. 4@
AND I'M TRYING TO SEE MY 4@OWN
DEMENTIA, THE WAY THE DALAI
LAMA DESCRIBES HIS EXILE, WHICH
IS JUST BRINGING ME CLOSER TO
LIFE.
>> TH4@ESE DAYS, TRACY LYNN
SPENDS MUCH OF HER TIME
TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD,
PREACHING AND TELLING HER STORY
IN CHURCHES, 4@RETIRE4@MENT
COMMUNITIES, AND MEDICAL
SCHOOLS.
SHE WANTS TO EDUCATE 4@PEOPLE A
HELP LIFT 4@THE STIGMA ASSOCIAT
WITH DEMENTIA.
>> MY MESSAGE IS ALWAYS THE
SAME. 4@
THAT DEMENTIA IS NOT SOMETHING
TO BE ASHAMED OF OR EMBARRASSED
ABOUT.
IT IS NOT A PU4@NISHMENT. 4@
AND THAT TRANSPARENCY CAN MAKE @
LIFE BETTER FOR EVERYBODY
INVOLVED, THE PERSON LIVING
WITH IT AND THEIR FAMILIES.
>> I WAS STRUCK BY SOMETHING
YOU WROTE.
YOU SAID THAT WHEN PEOPLE TALK
ABOUT DEMENTIA, EITHER THOSE
WHO HAVE IT OR THOSE WHO HAVE A
FRIEND OR RELATIVE WHO HAS IT,
WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT IT IN
KIND OF HUSHED TONES.
AS IF THIS IS SOMETHING
EMBARRASSING THAT HAPPENED.
AND THAT WE DON'T REALLY WANT 4@
TO BE UP FRONT.
THAT THE FEELING YOU WROTE IS
THAT OH, IF I'D EATEN MORE 4@
GREEN VEGETABLES AND LESS RED
MEAT 25 YEARS AGO OR DONE 4@MOR
EXERCISE, DONE THE CROSSWORD
PUZZLE EVERY 4@DAY, THIS WOULDN
HAVE HAPPENED.
>> YOU KNOW, I 4@LIKEN AGE NOW
OR DEMENTIA NOW, TO CANCER IN
THE 1960s, OR A.I.D.S.
IN THE 1980s. 4@
IT'S AN INCURABLE DISEASE OR
CONDITION, THAT WE DO4@N'T FULL
UNDERSTAND. 4@
AND FOR SOME REASON, IT'S GOT A
LOT OF NEGATIVE, BLAME THE
VICTIM ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND THEREF4@ORE WE SPEAK OF IT
VERY HUSHED VOICES. 4@
YOU KNOW, THEY ALSO SAY THAT
IT'S THE THING THAT WE FEAR THE
MOST. 4@
WE FEAR IT WAY MORE THAN CANCER
OR HEART DISEASE.
WE FEAR LOSING 4@OUR MEMORY, OU
SENSE OF SELF, AND OUR
AWARENESS OF THE WORLD AROUND
US. 4@
AND SO I THINK WE SPEAK OF IT
SO QUIETLY, BECAUSE WE'RE MAYBE
US. 4@ AND SO I THINK WE SPEAK OF IT SO QUIETLY, BECAUSE WE'RE MAYBE@
AFRAID WE'LL BRING IT ON.
>> IS THERE ANY ONE 4@PERSON IN
PARTICULAR WHO STANDS OUT, WHOM
YOU'VE TALKED TO, WHOM 4@YOU'VE
TOLD YOUR STORY TO, WHO WAS
REALLY TOUCHED BY IT OR SAID
SOMETHING THAT TOUCHED YOU? 4@4@
>> I THINK... 4@
IT'S THE 60- TO 75-YEAR-OLD MEN
SOMETHING THAT TOUCHED YOU? 4@4@ >> I THINK... 4@ IT'S THE 60- TO 75-YEAR-OLD MEN@
WHO COME UP TO ME AFTER 5 4@
SPOKEN AND WHISPER IN MY 4@EAR,
"HOW DID YOU KNOW?"
AND THEY ALWAYS HAVE TEARS IN
THEIR EYES. 4@
AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE STANDING
WITH THEIR WIFE, HOLDING A
HAND, REALLY GRIPPING IT.
AND 4@SOMETIMES THEY'VE COME BY
THEMSELVES THROUGH THE SHADOWS.
SCARED TO DEATH. 4@
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT
REALLY TOUCH ME. 4@
>> IT'S INTERESTING.
BECAUSE JUST THIS WEEK, 4@RETI4
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SANDRA 4@
DAY O'CONNOR ANNOUNCED THAT SHE
BECAUSE JUST THIS WEEK, 4@RETI4 SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SANDRA 4@ DAY O'CONNOR ANNOUNCED THAT SHE@
HAS DEMENTIA.
HER HUSBAND HAD DEMENTIA.
THE PRESIDENT WHO APOINTED HER @
-- APPOINTED HER TO THE SUPREME
COURT HAD 4@DEMENTIA, PRESIDENT
RONALD REAGAN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE
CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT THE
COST OF DEMENTIA IS GOING TO BE
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT THE COST OF DEMENTIA IS GOING TO BE@
ENORMOUS THAT IT SUGGEST GOB
CRUSHING TO -- IS GOING TO BE
CRUSHING TO SOCIETY.
>> ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT IT
SAY VERY SCARY DIAGNOSIS.
IT GOES ON FOR A LONG TIME FOR
SOME PEOPLE.
MY GRANDMOTHER HAD IT FOR NINE
YEARS.
>> AND THE BURDENS THAT FALL ON
THE FAMILIES AND THE CAREGIVERS
ARE ENORMOUS.
AND THE FINANCIAL COSTS ALSO
ENORMOUS.
IT'S A TOPIC THAT EVERYONE
NEEDS TO BE COMING TO GRIPS 4@
WITH.
TRACY LYNN HAS AN INTERESTING
WEBSITE, WHERE YOU CAN FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT HER JOURNEY.
YOU'LL FIND A LINK