John T. Brackin

I began my journey with my father and his Alzheimer's disease in 2007. You read about how Alzheimer's progresses and terrible affect it has on the person. All of the information that is available does not come close to the reality.

The journey started when I started to see him miss the details he normally wouldn't . You don't know what you should do about what you are seeing. Is it just a case of aging, or something else. After my father underwent major surgery on hip. We saw that he was having serious issues. My mother took him to their general practitioner. He thought the problem was just due to age. We (me mostly) thought it would be better if he saw a specialist. This was where my father was told he had Alzheimer's disease, and there was very little that could done for him. I asked him rather than just except his fate to use it to help people. As I explained to him. If he were to join a research program the information that they could get wouldn't necessarily help him, most likely wouldn't help me or my generation. The information could help my son's generation, but would definitely would help his children and grand children. The five years he was in research program at Johns Hopkins provided them information they could use. The medicine he received, some appeared to help, and some that didn't work as well. The unfortunate part of him being in the program. They documented how the disease progressed, and unfortunately they shared this information with us.

When my mother passed away I became the sole person responsible with his care. During his stay at nursing home I watched him go from being able to communicate with me and the staff. To not knowing me, having to be hand fed, and unable to communicate his needs. He had been bedridden since his arrival. The staff at the nursing home has been wonderful. I can not express how happy I have been with his care. Any problems that appeared where taken care of immediately, and affectively.

As I watched my father has go through the progression has been for a better word difficult. My father's has always said that quality of life was more important to him. If he had no quality of life he would be ready to go. As the family member you go through the progress with them. You start to understand why some people take the actions to end their love ones life without concern for what they will have to undergo. These thoughts will come to anyone watching a love one go through the progression of this disease trust me when I say this. Alzheimer's disease is something I wouldn't wish upon the worst human being now or in history.

As my father's journey ends shortly, my journey continues. I have to do what I can to see that no one has to see what I have seen. I am fortunate to have all of the memories we have shared. Yes, they are not all good, but they all help.

I have been blessed with a close knit family, and friends. Each and everyone of them will help me finish the journey my father and I have taken.

I hope this essay will help those who taking the same journey, or those who will start it. You are not alone, and with our combine strength we can end this devastating disease.

Dad's death occured On October 22, 2012 he was the loving husband of 55years to the late Sarah C. “Sally” Brackin; devoted son the late Lloyd and Ethel Brackin; beloved father of Keith A. Brackin; devoted brother of Jean Alspach and the late Alice Sandusky and Audrey Pitney; cherished grandfather of Jessica L. Campbell and her husband Derek, and Jeffrey A. Brackin; dear uncle of Catherine Badertscher, Ashley Badertscher and Wesley Calladine; devoted friend of Cody.

A graveside service will be celebrated in the Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 E. Padonia Road, Timonium, MD 21093 on Thursday October 25 at 11AM. Expressions of sympathy may be directed in Mr. Brackin’s memory to Gilchrist Hospice Care, 11311 McCormick Road, Suite 350 Hunt Valley, MD 21031 or Alzheimers Assoc., 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, MD 21093. A guest book is available at www.lemmonfuneralhome.com