69 years old Alzheimer’s sufferer

hi. my name is paula. i am a 69 year old mother of a 20 year old daughter and i

was diagnosed with alzheimer’s one year ago. i was an lcsw therapist. i had expected to work well into my 70’s as so many of my colleagues do. when i was diagnosed with “mci”— “mild cognitive impairment” a few years back, i was still thinking clearly (even if less on top of things than i’d used to be.) then, thanks to a spinal tap (OUCH!!) which revealed amyloid and tau, the telltale markers of alzheimer’s, i realized i had to shut

down my practice. i was not anywhere near the kind of savings i expected to save over the next 10 years or so.

there was no history of alzheimer’s in my family. apparently i am the “chosen one” (at 35 years old i was diagnosed with early onset of adult diabetes. at 40 i had bladder cancer. at 68, alzheimer’s, and the crowning jewel, epilepsy (which i then found out can come along with alzheimer’s.)

that’s a longwinded story to explain why i need funding to get by. many thanks

for reading this tale of woe.