MSI Press Blog

  Not every forgotten name or misplaced key is a sign of Alzheimer’s. Some memory changes are a normal part of aging. Understanding the difference can prevent a great deal of unnecessary worry. Normal Memory Changes Healthy aging may include: Occasionally forgetting names but remembering them later Misplacing items now and then Taking longer to learn new information Sometimes forgetting why you entered a room These changes happen because the brain processes information more slowly with age , not because it is failing. When It May Be More Serious Memory changes may indicate dementia when they: Interfere with daily life Become progressively worse Make it difficult to perform familiar tasks Cause confusion about time, place, or identity For example, forgetting an appointment is normal. Forgetting what an appointment is or why it matters is different. A Helpful Rule of Thumb Many neurologists suggest this simple distinction: Normal aging: You forget where yo...

  When Doah finally emerged from those first three dramatic years—doctors trying to gain custody so they could force procedures we knew were dangerous (and his pediatrician’s research confirmed it), stealing him out of the hospital to save him, coping with trachs and plugs and clinical deaths and daily CPR—we finally had a moment to look around and take stock. That winter, eleven other children with tracheotomies at that same hospital had died. Only two survived: Doah, because we fought for him, and Peter, an older child who had already lived with a trach for ten years. We knew, with a cold clarity, that if we had not been tenacious—if we had not researched, questioned, challenged, and sought alternatives—Doah would have been one of the eleven. And we wanted the hospital held responsible. We consulted a lawyer. He listened carefully, then leaned back and said something we did not expect: “A jury will struggle with the medical complexity. Doctors carry authority. They will be believ...