Lewy Body disease strikes “poster child for healthy living”

Angie Casey’s mother, who died at age 69 from Lewy Body disease, was, until about two years before, the picture of health. She walked six miles a day. . . she did not eat white flour or sugar. She chose organic foods.


Ann Casey of Jacksonville, Ala., was “a poster child for healthy living,” her daughter said.  “She enjoyed life”. . . until  she was struck with the degenerative neurological disorder that took over her body and her mind, eventually taking her life on March 10 of this year.

Once Lewy Body disease attacked, it moved very rapidly.  “Her symptoms were bizarre—some similar to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease,” Angie said.  “We went to doctor after doctor trying to figure out what we were dealing with and how to help my mother. We  were on a roller coaster ride, both physically and mentally. One week would be good.  The next week we’d wonder ‘Who is this person?’ It was very stressful.”

The Casey family was luckier than most who find themselves as caregivers for a loved one with dementia. Angie’s father was already retired, and she had three brothers and a sister to share caregiving concerns. “I can’t imagine what it’s like --trying to find your way through a maze….working your way through the medical system—if you don’t have a support network,” Angie said.

 

“It is so difficult. Nobody knows what it’s like and how hard it can be until they find themselves in the position of caregiver for a loved one with dementia. You may think you know, but you don’t know until you are in the midst of it,” said Angie, who was news anchor at WTVY for 12 years before leaving in January to take a job in the Marketing/Public Relations Department at Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc.

“I want families who are taking care of a loved one with dementia to know there is a support network out there. There is a person and place they can call and get help… they can get information to help them deal with what at times might feel like a hopeless situation. It is not hopeless. There is help.

“When I needed reassurance I called Kay Jones, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Resource Center.  Sometimes when you’re in a caregiver situation, you feel that you’re not doing enough.  People can make you feel guilty. Sometimes what you need is reassurance that you’re doing everything you can possibly do.”

Because Angie supports the Alzheimer’s Resource Center and believes in its mission and its work,  she is once again serving as  chairman of the  Alzheimer’s A Walk to Remember. The 2009  event will be Saturday, Oct.  3 at Westgate Park in Dothan.

“The money we raise stays right here in the Wiregrass to provide free resources for caregivers,” Angie said. “That’s pretty critical.  There are still so many people out there who get diagnoses for Alzheimer’s or other dementias who don’t know about the Alzheimer’s Resource Center.  They need to know about it and call.  It’s not a sign of weakness to call.”


Angie invites everyone to come and join in the walk.  “It’s therapeutic to be around other  people. It’s not sad at all.  It really makes you feel better.”

The annual walk-a-thon is the primary fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Resource Center, which serves 16 Alabama counties: Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Pike and Russell, as well as a portion of the Florida Panhandle.

Services provided by the Center include monthly family support groups and a caregiver newsletter as well as books, pamphlets and brochures about Alzheimer’s disease and related issues.

Alzheimer’s is an incurable, progressive, degenerative disease of the brain that can result in memory loss, confusion, personality and behavior changes, impaired judgment and other problems. Some 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and 22 million are expected to have the disease by the year 2025 unless a cure or preventive measures can be discovered.”

 

The Oct. 3 walk is open to everyone, and teams are especially encouraged to participate. Teams may be made up of two ore more co-workers, church or club members, relatives and family members, friends or neighbors.

A $10 minimum donation is requested per walker, and walkers are encouraged to obtain additional pledges to help the Alzheimer’s Resource Center reach its goal of $85,000. Each walker who raises $50 or more will be given a special 2009 A Walk to Remember T-shirt. Teams also are invited to design special shirts and/or carry banners or signs to identify their group.

Refreshments will be provided before, during and after the walk, and door prizes will be awarded immediately following the walk.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., team photos will be made at 8 a.m., opening ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the walk will begin at approximately 8:45 a.m.  There will be one-, three- and five-mile walks to enable people of all ages to participate.

Anyone interested in serving as a sponsor or participating in A Walk to Remember is encouraged to call the Alzheimer’s Resource Center at (334) 702-2273 or 1-888-702-8689 for more information. Pledge sheets, posters, flyers and other information about the walk may also be obtained by calling the office.