Who: Ron Louie was a pediatric hematologist-oncologist before becoming the primary caregiver for his wife, who had Early Onset Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD). He thinks he’s trying the best he can, but luckily he has had help. He had known his wife for over 40 years. Sadly, you may notice the past tense.
He is NOT an expert in AD or caregiving. He considers himself a “minor-leaguer,” except in his own specialty. He counts amongst his good friends a Director of Neurogenetics at a Big Ten medical school, a real “major-leaguer”, but other friends and colleagues are experts in AD or caregiving.
He is proud to be a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Retired but the title is an honorific with no specific power, privilege or funding. It means he’s old enough. And for children, anyone over 30 is already an “old guy.”
Not a neuroscientist or neurologist, he did care for children who had brain tumors and cancer-related neurologic problems. Some of his young hematology patients had neurologic problems like cerebrovascular disease, hemorrhage or stroke. He’s had experience with brain CT, MRI and PET scans (similar to those used in AD as “biomarkers”), has performed hundreds of spinal taps, and dealt with neuropsychological and psychosocial problems in a team approach. He did clinical research, and early on did some lab research. So he knows some of the jargon.
Of course, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, leading to misconceptions. This blog started Sept 2018 in response to World Alzheimer Month. He started his first blog in Aug 2018 , “constructive comments” from a cancer POV about Alzheimer clinical research: ALZHEIMER GADFLY .
Mary Bridge Oncology Water Fight, 2015. Photo by Russ Carmack