They Are Glad They Caught It Early: Am I?

An essay by Richard Taylor, Ph.D. I have talked with dozens of people in their 30s and 40s who have been diagnosed with early-onset (defined as anyone under the age 65 who is diagnosed), early-stage (the first of a three-stage description of the disease) Alzheimer’s disease. I was 58 when I was officially diagnosed. After hearing the diagnosis, I cried every day for three weeks. My neurologist told me that 95% of the people he diagnoses with Alzheimer’s are not ever tested. The patients, most of whom are in their mid-to-late 70s, would not be able…