By going back, I’m able to move forward

I did an aperens for the medical company Rhouge this afternoon. If you ask me it went very well. I’m so fortunate to be able to make my mark in the world of Alzheimer’s.

This is my words:

 

As introduced My name i s Sofia Petersson I was a very ordinary person. But lately I have developed some kind of superpowers, because I need to save my kids from a horrible thing. It’s a monster that can swallow me and them  whole! So I need to hurry

 

I am married to Anders and we have 2 daughters,  age 15 and 18. We live a good life, in a smaller village in the suburbs to the Swedish town Helsingborg.  About 45 minutes drive to Denmark’s Capital Copenhagen.

 

We all know that  every person is unique, and that  we are formed by a lot of people: our parents and relatives , the friends you grow up with, the teachers, the trainers  the school and the traumas.

 

For me and my start of life I had a very nice upbringing. We lived in a small village in southern Sweden by a harbour. I sailed a lot and My parents had a good marriage they truly  loved each other.

 

So it was me and my 20 month older sister and a 12 years older brother, we all share the same father but not mothers.

I was born the same year My grandmother on my father’s side died in 1976.

When she was in here early 50´s.

She was at that time in a  mental institution. My parents forced an  autopsy when she died. to know what was wrong with here and the result  showed that she had Alzheimer’s.

 

I have always kept a journal, so I can remember when I was told that my father was diagnosed  in Alzheimer’s. I was only 14 years old and I named the sickness the monster in my journal.

 

A few month later at the end  of 1991. I write in my diary that the Americans has bombed in Kuwait and  they called the attack ,Desert storm.

And  just a short short note about that dad is losing his memory and that I don’t want to be like him.

But time flies by when you are young and I didn’t  think or write much about my father until later that year.

Then I wrote:  that my life will never be the same again my dad’s brain is shrinking. The doctor has told mum It’s Alzheimer’s!  And I’m afraid that I will be next in line.

But when us kids were told we were so young that it took awhile before we even notice that our father was sick.

 

I remember when I the first time I felt that it was not safe for him to drive Then I was 15. And I remember the frustration when he started to repeat things over and over.

And I remember when he lost his ability to talk some years later.

Instead when he tried to communicate with us it sounded like a baby babble. He often stood in front off the mirror and talked to his reflection. He was happy never angry. So I hope that I inherited all of his trades so my kids don’t have a hard time with me.

But one incident that is forever a markt in my brain In 1993 a week before my 17th birthday,  My father begged my mother to kill him. He is 52 years old and very sick in alzheimer’s. He gave here a knife and almost forced here to do it. That trama of fighting of  my father the knife, is not something I want my kids to go through.

 

Otherwise My father was a  hero in my eyes, because he participated in very early medical trials. I remember that  one tria when he had nicotine pads all over him. He wanted to i to be part of the solution to the end of alzheimer.

 

And me and him  are truly alike in many ways I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 39. And I want to be in medical trials to help myself and  save my kids…

I often google to find medical trials so I can apply to be part of the solution to a cure

 

And this will sound crazy  but I,m to young,

Only 42.  Al the medical companies in europe and america  have a age limit in alzheimer’s drug trials. -You need to be 50 years old or  over

I have heard THIS  so many times, but this time I did my research so I started to google Ageism in medical trails I got 98 200 results about the topic very interesting reading.

Example The Food and Drug administration say that, Medical products are safer and more effective for everyone when clinical research includes a diverse of the populations. There is aneed to develop,licensing and testing medicines so that it mirrors the al the consumer groups.

 

And In the abstract of the study Ageism by in clinical research by Briggs , Robinson  and O’Neill is the  conclusion that there is a Age discrimination.

 

Although there is guidelines that dates back to 1964  adopted by the 18th World Medical Assembly in Helsinki, Finland, June 1964 and this is still in the guidelines….

 

That Groups that are under represented in medical research should be provided appropriate access to participation in research.

And there is more awareness to the needs for divers medical trials to

This summer my father  would have turn 77 years old

And me, his youngest child has been living with Alzheimer’s for almost 3 years

 

Tanks to Rhouge for your courageous invitation,

and keep doing just the courageous things you’re doing!

The end of Alzheimer’s is getting closer