One Man's Race To Outrun Alzheimer's
This is the third in NPR's series "Inside Alzheimer's," about the experience of living with the illness. In parts one and two, Greg O'Brien talked about what it was like to get the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, and how he thinks about the future.
In this installment, he talks about the importance of exercise — and his struggle to get it.
Greg O'Brien has always been a runner. He used to run outside, on the country roads around his home on Cape Cod.
Then O'Brien was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's — and a few years ago, he started to get lost.
So, he turned to the treadmill — six miles every evening, pushing himself hard to keep his body strong, even as his memory began to fail him.
But as his Alzheimer's disease has progressed, it's begun to take a physical toll as well. His balance sometimes gives way. Today, O'Brien still goes to the gym every day to clear his head and keep himself in shape, but he's had to change a lot about how he works out.
Click on the audio link above to hear him describe some of the challenges.
Interview Highlights
On the importance of running
Running, to me, is essential, and I do it at the end of the day when something called sundowning takes over. It's what light does to the brain when light changes, and it creates greater confusion. So that's when I go to run. ...
Three years after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, Greg O'Brien got his mile time down below six minutes. He says regular exercise is crucial to keeping his mind clear.
I used to run six miles a day on the treadmill. I would punish my body, and I'd be punishing my brain because it makes me angry.
On driving
Trying to get out of my driveway in this pure ice — I know I shouldn't be driving, but I just hate to give it up. At least my wife knows where I am. After I had an accident a couple months ago, she found this computer thing — an app on your iPhone that can tell people where you are at all times. So I gave it to my wife; I gave it to my kids. It's like piece by piece, stripping yourself away of identity.
I know I'm not supposed to be driving, but it's a country road and I'm going to the gym because that's just what I'm going to do. There's [going to be] a day when I can't do it. ...
But, just between us, what I do, just to piss [my family] off sometimes, is I turn the phone off; and then they don't know where I am.
Then I get yelled at.
On adapting his workout
Alzheimer's can break the body down after it starts to break the brain down, because brain signals get all whacked out. I haven't had feeling in parts of my hands and feet for several years, and [I] was diagnosed recently with acute scoliosis and degeneration of the spine. So [instead of running outside] I now go into the gym daily. And I put the treadmill on an incline of 15, which is the highest, and I crank the speed up ... and I do my miles that way.
It still hurts, but less pain because I'm not pounding. And it tells me that I'm still in this race.
I'm 64 now. When I was 62 I got my mile down to 5 minutes and 20 seconds — which is pretty darn good. But I did it in rage.
I was trying to outrun Alzheimer's.
Next week, on Weekend All Things Considered, O'Brien's wife Mary Catherine talks about caring for her husband, and how his diagnosis has changed their marriage of almost 40 years.
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Transcript
ARUN RATH, HOST:
Here at ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, we've been following the story of Greg O'Brien. The 64-year-old writer was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease five years ago. Today, he takes us into an important part of his daily routine. O'Brien has always been a runner. He used to run outside around his home on Cape Cod. Then a few years ago, he started to get lost, so now he goes to the gym. But even that is getting more and more difficult. Here's Greg.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
GREG O'BRIEN: Running to me is essential, and I do it at the end of the day when something called sundowning takes over. And it's what light does to the brain when light changes, and it creates greater confusion. And so that's when I go to run.
My gym shorts? Somewhere - laundry. Fix this stupid light.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOOR OPENING)
O'BRIEN: You know where my shorts are?
And I used to run six miles a day on the treadmill.
I forget where I put the keys. Where are they?
And I would punish my body because my body - and I'd be punishing my brain because it makes me angry.
Trying to get out of my driveway in this pure ice - I know I shouldn't be driving, but I just hate to give it up. Well, at least my wife knows where I am. After I had an accident a couple of months ago, she found this computer thing, an app on your iPhone that can tell people where you are at all times. So I gave it to my wife and I gave it to my kids.
>>AT&T AUTOMATED VOICE OPERATING SYSTEM: AT&T directory assistance.
O'BRIEN: It's like (laughter) piece by piece stripping yourself away, you know, of identity.
>>AT&T AUTOMATED VOICE OPERATING SYSTEM: Say your city and state like Dallas, Texas, or you can say other services.
O'BRIEN: OK. I know I'm not supposed to be driving, but it's a country road and I'm going to the gym, because that's just what I'm going to do because a day when I can't do it.
>>AT&T AUTOMATED OPERATING SYSTEM: To return to...
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR HORN)
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR HORN)
O'BRIEN: Yeah, I know. I turned the thing off. OK, I can't figure it out - sorry, stupid, I can't figure it out. God, drive me crazy, these computers. Just between us, what I do just to [expletive] them off sometimes is I turn the phone off and then they don't know where I am. So - then I get yelled at. Put it in park.
Alzheimer's can break the body down after it starts to break the brain down because brain signals get all whacked out.
Hey.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Hi.
O'BRIEN: How you doing?
I haven't had feeling in parts of my hands and feet for several years and was diagnosed recently with acute scoliosis and degeneration of the spine.
Figure out how to work this damn thing again.
So I now go in to the gym daily and I put the treadmill on an incline of 15, which is the highest, and I crank the speed up to about close to 6.2 and I do my miles that way. And it still hurts, but less pain because I'm not pounding. And it tells me that I'm still in this race.
Sure doesn't feel so bad today.
I'm 64 now. When I was 62, I got my mile down to 5 minutes 20 seconds, which is pretty darn good. But I did in rage. I was trying to outrun Alzheimer's.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
RATH: Greg O'Brien's memoir is "On Pluto: Inside The Mind of Alzheimer's." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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