A year after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it’s the simple pleasures like going for walks and holding hands that bring happiness to Sally Hoag and her partner of 47 years, Brent Hoag.
As the past begins to slip away, Brent says, the present takes on greater importance.
On May 6, the Hoags will walk together at one of 23 Investors Group Walks for Alzheimer’s being held across the province. The Tri-Cities’ walk begins at 3:15 p.m. at the Port Moody civic centre (100 Newport Dr.). All proceeds go to the Alzheimer Society of BC for support programs and research into the disease, which affects 564,000 Canadians — with that number expected to reach 937,000 in 15 years.
Looking back, Brent said, there were signs of Sally’s illness a year before they sought a diagnosis. She’d forget appointments and get confused in the middle of conversations. But it was when she got lost while driving home one day that suggested something more than just old age might be to blame.
Sally stopped driving and Brent started researching.
“It’s a departure from the norm when you’ve known someone for so long,” said Brent, who first approached the family doctor on his own about his fears for Sally’s failing memory. “It’s the elephant in the room.”
When Sally’s score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a widely-used screening test for cognitive impairment, indicated the possible onset of Alzheimer’s, Brent sought a referral to the Centre for Brain Health at the University of British Columbia, a world leader in research for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Brent was no longer just Sally’s husband, he was her advocate.
After a day-long series of tests, including an MRI and interviews, Alzheimer’s was confirmed.
The diagnosis was devastating, Brent said.
“You go a little... deaf once you hear the word.”
Sally said she was upset, but not overly surprised. Her father had Alzheimer’s and a family history increases the risk factor for developing the disease.
But as difficult as it was to break the news to the couple’s four children and four grandchildren, the diagnosis was also liberating, Brent said. Instead of worrying about it, they could deal with it.
“Knowledge is power,” he said.
They connected with counsellors from the Alzheimer Society and began participating in courses and discussion groups. Brent sought out research programs at UBC, not so much to deal with Sally’s diagnosis but to offer hope for those who might get diagnosed in the future.
“We’re realistic enough,” Brent said.
The Hoags also decided to move from their longtime home in Coquitlam to be closer to their children and grandchildren in Langley.
Sally said a lot of the time, she feels normal, but Brent has taken over many of the household responsibilities. He said it’s a fine balancing act between doing what’s required to keep Sally active and safe while still allowing her her dignity and self-respect.
“You have to take a stand to not let the disease rob you of happiness,” he said.
• Registration for Sunday's Tri-Cities Group Walk for Alzheimer’s begins at 2:30 p.m. Click here more information and to download a pledge form.
• Wednesday, May 9, from 2 to 3 p.m. the Alzheimer Society of BC will conduct a free workshop on living with dementia at the Poirier branch of the Coquitlam Public Library (575 Poirier St.). Registration is required.
