EILEEN ADLER

August 1 began as a typically overcast cloudy day here in San Diego, but the morning fog would soon roll out leaving us hot. Now was the perfect time to take my walk with my podcast set to listen to The Moth, my sun visor adorned with knitted flowers, my lightweight jacket, and my skin lathered in sunscreen. My intent was to walk to the market to buy more cottage cheese and fresh fruit, feeling very European as I like to shop for a little something every day. I saw my neighbor whom I hadn’t seen in a while, and we began talking, catching up on the latest news when she shared her concerns about her sweetheart. It seems that he is having some cognitive issues and knowing that I am a care partner, she expressed her poignant request: just tell me what is going to happen so I can deal with it. Can we talk? No one can tell you what will happen because there is no roadmap for this new journey. Despite any diagnosis, each disease presents in its own special way with each person; no one has the exact same challenges. I suggested she read the book The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale Bredesen, and to her delight, she had just bought this book because the neurologist suggested she read it. The more you know, the better you grow with the reality.