TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Alzheimer’s doesn’t just destroy people’s memories. It slowly destroys their brain functions, and it takes a toll on their loved ones too.
KGUN spoke with a family who is learning to live fully, even while living with the disease.
RELATED: How this couple is stitching good moments together during Alzheimer's journey
Mark Hall remembers telling his wife Debi, when she was first learning to live with Alzheimer’s, “You can’t give up on me, cause I’m not gonna give up on you.”
Mark and Debi have two children and four grandchildren.
“We always have been close-knit,” said Mark.
Their message to others: Don’t live in denial and watch for early signs of Alzheimer’s.
One of theirs came while playing cards.
“The only time I ever won is if she let me. I could never beat her,” Mark remembered. “And she couldn’t follow sequences and suits very well. And that was maybe six months before her diagnosis.”
That came in 2020, along with a new reality for the family.
“It’s a slow, devastating disease and there’s no cure for it,” said Mark.
KGUN also sat down with their son, Tim.
“There’s this idea that’s kinda like it’s kinda like, ‘Oh people are just forgetful and it’s kinda cute,’ and it’s really so much more than that,” he said. “And it’s so much worse than just, like, being forgetful.”
Communication can be a challenge, and emotions come with it.
The Halls talk about sadness, anger and frustration, especially with the younger kids in the family.
“They still get to know [Debi],” Tim said of the grandkids. “She’s still there. She still remembers things. But it’s like building those kind of core memories of things that you get to do, things that you get to experience.
“We all kind of get cheated. We’re all getting cheated. And it’s tough.”
Talking is one way to get through it, with support groups or friends.
“Knowing that we’re not alone, that there’s other people out there that are struggling as well [helps],” Mark said. “Not only with the disease itself, but also with the caretaking piece of it.”
The disease only gets worse with time, but Mark says the family’s outlook has gotten better.
“I told her, says, ‘As you lose memories, we’re gonna make new memories… We’re still gonna do the things that you love as long as you can do ‘em,’” he said.
In the past four years, that’s meant a lot of pictures.
“There’s not really anything we can do about this, so we’re gonna have to live the best life we can, now… and every day,” said Mark.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.