Karl

Karl passed away today in the Hospice with Dorothy (his wife) and Matt by his side. He will be greatly missed.

One thing I have learned about this situation is we don't know enough about Alzheimer's. Karl's wife was asked to explain to the ICU Doctors over and over again exactly how much Karl's thinking and behavior had changed over the past couple of years.

A lot of people assume you get diagnosed with Alzheimer's and then you instantly forget all the names of everyone in your family. That's how Hollywood portrays it. It's not that simple and wasn't the case for Karl. He knew what was happening to him. He saw his mother struggle and die from it.

It started with small things like forgetting to pay a bill. Then he couldn't keep a job as an Architect because he would lose track of the task his was doing. Last year Karl was still able to drive. He enjoyed picking up his granddaughter from school. His Alzheimer's was moving at a rapid pace. They had to tell him he would not be allowed to pick her up anymore. He was crushed. A lot of his independence got taken away this past year. Karl liked to mow the lawn. But his brain would not signal to him to mow it until he saw his son doing it. The family would let the grass grow tall with weeds because they knew he would get upset if someone else mowed it.

This disease started taking over his mind about 10 years ago at the age of 50. Most people with the disease are 65 or older according to www.alz.org. Alzheimer's is a long and devastating process for the family and the victim. My heart goes out to anyone suffering from it.

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

I'm so worried that Matt will get it. Matt does everything he can to stay in shape and keep his mind healthy. I can honestly say he is the most fit person I know. But there are diseases that run in many families that only affect a handful. Matt and I both are too young to worry about this. I'm going to focus on turning these negative thoughts into a positive by cherishing my life with Matt and my family. I love them all so much and pray that God will give me peace of mind.

Thank You Jesus for my family and I pray you provide comfort to the Kuhlmann's during this hard time.