Pat Summitt diagnosed with

[lmunchkin]

Pat Summitt of Univ. of Tenn was diagnosed with early signs of Dementia!  This has truly been a terrible day of news!  First the earthquake in D.C. now one of Ladys top notch coach of womens basketball in the country has been diagnosed with this awful illness! Such a shock to hear!

lmunchkin

[MooseMom]

I'm not shocked.  All of this is so random.  Accidents, illness, death...all so random.

She will need a lot of courage.  When you are diagnosed with an incurable disease, it changes you forever in ways that cannot adequately be explained.  I hope she will continue to do what she loves for many years to come.

[lmunchkin]

They are saying she will remain the Head Coach with more of the load going to her assistance!  For how long, is unknown! She is an elite coach for sure, and hopefully she can do it for many more years.

MM, random absolutely, but still a shock to hear (to me that is).

lmunch

[Chris]

Is she young? Well compared to the usual age dementia is percieved. My grandmother had this and did well for years. We did not know this till her autopsy, we just knew something was wrong with her memory at the time. Pat may do well for years, so not all hope is lost.

[lmunchkin]

Not really sure what her age is, guessing here, I would say 50's.. Just heard that her father had that also!

lmunch

[willowtreewren]

She is 59, just a bit younger than I am!

She has already shown a great deal of courage! I imagine that true to form she will continue to be an inspiration, not only as a coach, but by the way she handles this terrible news.

Aleta

[paris]

My mother, grandmother and great grandmother all had dementia.  They use to just say people were senile.   Mom was diagnosed in her late 70's and died a few years later.  I prayed every night for God to take her.  She was a big name in the American Camping Association, well known for designing camps, very smart and to watch that slip away day by day was heart breaking.  Her last 3 years were in a nursing home, no recognition of family, laying there not knowing anything that was going on.  Horrible to see her that way. She would have been so humiliated.         I also have a friend with early onset dementia (60) and is on medication. She is doing good and will probably have a lot of time before it gets really had to function.     To see this marvelous couch and know what is ahead is so sad.    Glenn Campbell also has dementia and is doing his last tour.  His publicist made it public, so the audience would understand if things went wrong at a concert.

I asked my kids how they will know when I start to lose it because my memory is gone already!     I guess that is why I have never asked "why me?".   Everyone faces hard struggles.    Sad news about Pat.