Maybe Ron was misdiagnosed.

Makes me wonder. If Alzheimer’s is misdiagnosed. More often than one might think. Take my so-called Alzheimer-riddled friend Ron. I say so-called. Because I have doubts that Ron has Alzheimer’s. No doubt, he has dementia. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he has Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to construe many, many kinds of dementia as Alzheimer’s. That’s too often a serious mistake. Alzheimer’s is more or less incurable and untreatable. But some dementia can be dealt with. And often treated. Effectively. Maybe that’s happening with 86-year-old Ron. A retired research scientist. He fell. Broke his neck. And underwent fusion surgery to repair the break. It was a delicate and risky procedure. But amazingly, Ron has come out of it. Looking and feeling better than he has for a long, long time. He’s alert. Conversing. Some on the scene call it a miracle. I don’t. Instead, it could be that the break and the subsequent surgery cured Ron of a congenitally deformed neck. And the repair job  increased the flow of blood to Ron’s brain.  Eureka! Ron is functioning better. Mentally. Physically. I chatted with Ron. In his hospital room. He understood my words, my questions. He answered. Directly. Succinctly. He smiled. But mostly, it was his alert and penetrating eyes. They spoke to me. Ron was communicating. That maybe he was misdiagnosed. –Jim Broede