Alzheimer's disease

My mom once said that the most formidable disease was Alzheimer's disease. Then I read The Notebook, a novel written by Nicholas Sparks.
In the novel, Allie suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Her lover/husband didn't know that until he found an iron in the refrigerator in their kitchen and Allie crying behind the steering wheel, not remembering where their house was. When I read those symptoms, I couldn't quite believe it would happen in real life.

In the June issue of Reader's Digest, Josephine Brouard's article "A Reversal of Roles" is about her mother's sickness. Her mother was afflicted with Alzheimer's. Brouard describes some symptoms as follows.

"She could do nothign for herself except get in and out of chairs, beds and baths, and occasionally follow requests to open her mouth to eat. Even something as simple as brushing teeth was a hurdle. My mother had forgotten what a toothbrush was, and she needed coaxing..."

"One day on my father's watch, he dozed off while my mother went walking. When Dad awoke, he found Mum, dazed and confused, defecating on the lounge-room floor. We had left the bathroom lights on, but Mum had forgotten how to use a toilet. The following day, while my father and I were in the garden, Mum blocked a bathroom drain with a wad of tissues so that when we returned inside, half the house was underwater..."

Now I know how formidable Alzheimer's is.

Out of curiosity, I searched for some information about Alzheimer's and found this useful web page:

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/alzheimers-dementia

I even did the quiz and learned more about Alzheimer's.

1. The key factor for Alzheimer's is age.

2. There is no cure for Alzheimer's.

3. The symptoms of Alzheimer's include: loss of memory, depression, and halluciantions.

There are more, which I kind of forgot. Hey! Is this a sign for Alzheimer's?