Post by *Shannon on Jun 29, 2014 3:01:55 GMT
Does this fact affect your decision on whether to have children or not?
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Thank you all so much for your replies. Let me tell you why I ask this question. My mother has younger onset Alzheimer's. Her mother had Alzheimer's, not sure if it was YO or not. My grandmother's brother had Alzheimer's... lather, rinse repeat throughout her family tree.
My mother is still at home, and still somewhat active. She loves to go to Starbucks and make necklaces. Still goes out to eat, goes out with a friend weekly, etc. She has no short term memory, has problems with reasoning, is very child like in some ways and is very argumentative with my father. I live down the street from them and help often. My dad's life is a roller coaster. He's ok for a few days and awful for a few. He takes respites, but they are needed more frequently these days and the benefits don't last as long. It's getting harder and harder. It's very hard on him. He loves my mother and declares it daily, but living with her, caring for her, watching her struggle with losing herself is killing him.
He is very worried about me, my siblings, and my children (the only grandchildren). He believes that our chances of developing Alz is very high. He was having a very bad day yesterday. I went to visit him, chat for a while... during the conversation he stated that my children should not have children. His feelings are that Alz is such a horrid disease, that going through it must be complete hell (it is). He feels that to sentence a person (a possible child) to this probable (in his opinion) future would be wrong.
Hearing him say this hurts so much. He is a wonderful man. He loves his children and adores his two grandchildren. It doesn't make me think less of him, but it makes me so sad. Yes, Alzheimer's is hell, it's terrible, awful, sad, depressing, and for now nothing can be done about it (yes, there are some drugs that delay certain symptoms, but when it comes down to it, you're screwed... a long, slow, not happy screwed). And yes, I'm scared that I'm going to develop it, but there is nothing I can do about it other than try to live as healthy and full life as I can... and pray... pray that I don't develop it. I don't think that medical advances will be soon enough for me if I develop it, but I have hope for my children.
I agree with what most of you said, but what Basket1lady said really sums it up... "A life lived 60-70 years well lived is a life with value, to me." Amen!! Even if a person does develop it, Alz won't be the sum of their life.
Even if it's younger onset... so much good can come from one person in 50 years. I know part of his thought process is to stop it from continuing, stop it with my kids, if they get it, don't pass it on. Another thought of his is that no more of his family will have to suffer through it, that their families won't have to suffer through it.
He had this same thought process when my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes... he thought we should not have more children. We had two children when she was diagnosed, and already decided that two was it for us, so it never was an issue.
I guess I just wanted to see if others felt like him. It's ultimately up to my kids... they'll know the chances and it's a decision they'll have to make, but I just don't think I'd nix children because they might develop Alzheimer's... even if it's likely. Obviously, I didn't nix having kids. Treatments evolve, cures happen, etc.
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Thank you all so much for your replies. Let me tell you why I ask this question. My mother has younger onset Alzheimer's. Her mother had Alzheimer's, not sure if it was YO or not. My grandmother's brother had Alzheimer's... lather, rinse repeat throughout her family tree.
My mother is still at home, and still somewhat active. She loves to go to Starbucks and make necklaces. Still goes out to eat, goes out with a friend weekly, etc. She has no short term memory, has problems with reasoning, is very child like in some ways and is very argumentative with my father. I live down the street from them and help often. My dad's life is a roller coaster. He's ok for a few days and awful for a few. He takes respites, but they are needed more frequently these days and the benefits don't last as long. It's getting harder and harder. It's very hard on him. He loves my mother and declares it daily, but living with her, caring for her, watching her struggle with losing herself is killing him.
He is very worried about me, my siblings, and my children (the only grandchildren). He believes that our chances of developing Alz is very high. He was having a very bad day yesterday. I went to visit him, chat for a while... during the conversation he stated that my children should not have children. His feelings are that Alz is such a horrid disease, that going through it must be complete hell (it is). He feels that to sentence a person (a possible child) to this probable (in his opinion) future would be wrong.
Hearing him say this hurts so much. He is a wonderful man. He loves his children and adores his two grandchildren. It doesn't make me think less of him, but it makes me so sad. Yes, Alzheimer's is hell, it's terrible, awful, sad, depressing, and for now nothing can be done about it (yes, there are some drugs that delay certain symptoms, but when it comes down to it, you're screwed... a long, slow, not happy screwed). And yes, I'm scared that I'm going to develop it, but there is nothing I can do about it other than try to live as healthy and full life as I can... and pray... pray that I don't develop it. I don't think that medical advances will be soon enough for me if I develop it, but I have hope for my children.
I agree with what most of you said, but what Basket1lady said really sums it up... "A life lived 60-70 years well lived is a life with value, to me." Amen!! Even if a person does develop it, Alz won't be the sum of their life.
Even if it's younger onset... so much good can come from one person in 50 years. I know part of his thought process is to stop it from continuing, stop it with my kids, if they get it, don't pass it on. Another thought of his is that no more of his family will have to suffer through it, that their families won't have to suffer through it.
He had this same thought process when my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes... he thought we should not have more children. We had two children when she was diagnosed, and already decided that two was it for us, so it never was an issue.
I guess I just wanted to see if others felt like him. It's ultimately up to my kids... they'll know the chances and it's a decision they'll have to make, but I just don't think I'd nix children because they might develop Alzheimer's... even if it's likely. Obviously, I didn't nix having kids. Treatments evolve, cures happen, etc.
That might sound horrible, but it's true. 
