Ukujamelana Nesifo Sika-Alzheimer
USALLY ucacisa esithi: “Umyeni wam, uAlfie, wayengumphathi-basebenzi kweminye yemigodi yegolide yaseMzantsi Afrika. Ndothuka ndaphants’ ukufa xa wandixelela ukuba wayefuna ukuthabatha umhlala-phantsi. Wayeneminyaka engama-56 kuphela ubudala yaye eyindoda ekrelekrele ezibhokoxayo emsebenzini. Kamva, ndafumanisa kwabo wayesebenza nabo ukuba uAlfie wayeqalisa ukwenza iimpazamo ezingaqhelekanga emsebenzini. Ngokufuthi babezifihla ezo mpazamo zakhe.
“Emva kokuba ethabathe umhlala-phantsi, sathenga ihotele. Ekubeni uAlfie wayelichule, sacinga ukuba uza kuzigcina exakekile ngokulungisa le ndawo. Kodwa, kunoko, wayesoloko eqesha umntu amncede.
“Kwangaloo nyaka sasa umzukulwana wethu oneminyaka emithathu ubudala kwiholide kunxweme lwaseThekwini. Wayekuthanda ukudlala kwitrampoline [ishiti yerabha] ngaphesheya kwendawo esasihlala kuyo. Ngenye imva-kwemini, malunga neye–4:30, uAlfie wahamba naye besiya kudlala kule ndawo waza wathi baza kubuya emva kwesiqingatha seyure. Yabetha intsimbi yesi–7:00 ngokuhlwa, latshona bengekabuyi. Ndatsalela amapolisa umnxeba, kodwa athi akabakhangeli abantu abalahlekileyo de kudlule iiyure ezingama-24 belahlekile. Ngobo busuku ndandicinga ukuba ndiyaphambana, njengokuba ndandicinga ukuba babulewe. Inokuba kwakusemini emaqanda ngosuku olulandelayo, xa ndeva unkqonkqo emnyango yaye nanko uAlfie efunqule umzukulwana bemi emnyango.
“‘Nivela phi?’ ndabuza.
“‘Ungaqumbi wethu,’ waphendula watsho. ‘Andazi.’
“‘Makhulu,’ wacacisa umzukulwana, ‘besilahlekile.’
“Khawufan’ ucinge ukulahleka nje ukusuka ngaphaya kwendlela! Kunangoku andazi nokuba balala phi ngobo busuku. Phofu ke, umhlobo wam wabafumana waza wabalathisa apho sasihlala khona.”
Emva kwesi sehlo, uSally wamsa uAlfie kugqirha wemithambo-luvo, owathi wayenedementia (ukungasebenzi kakuhle kobuchopho). Kwabonakala ukuba uAlfie wayenesifo sika-Alzheimer (AD), okwangoku ekungekafumaneki ndlela yakusinyanga.a Ulindixesha waseBritani iNew Scientist uthi iAD “ngumbulali wesine omkhulu okhoyo ehlabathini emva kwesifo sentliziyo, umhlaza ne-stroke.” Siye sabizwa ngokuba “sesona sigulo siphambili esibuhlungu ekwaluphaleni.” Kodwa iAD isenokuqalisa ungekaluphali kakhulu, njengoAlfie.
Ekubeni abantu abaninzi ngakumbi bephila ixesha elide kumazwe afumileyo, kuqikelelwa ukuba inani labo baza kuba nedementia liyothusa. Ngokutsho kolunye uhlolisiso, phakathi kowe-1980 nowe-2000, esi sifo sinokwanda nge-14 ekhulwini eBritani, sande ngama-33 ekhulwini eUnited States size sande ngama-64 ekhulwini eKhanada. Kwingxelo kamabonwakude eOstreliya ngowe-1990 kwathiwa: “Kuqikelelwa ukuba abantu abali-100 000 banesifo sika-Alzheimer eOstreliya ngoku. Kodwa ekupheleni kwale nkulungwane, kuya kubakho abangama-200 000.” Ngonyaka wowe-2000 kuqikelelwa ukuba abantu abazizigidi ezili-100 baya kuba neAD.
Siyintoni Isifo Sika-Alzheimer?
Nangona kusenziwa uphando ngezinto ezinokubangela iAD, awaziwa owona nobangela waso. Noko ke, kuyaziwa ukuba iAD itshabalalisa ngokuthe ngcembe iiseli zobuchopho, de amanye amalungu obuchopho arhwaqele. Awona malungu achaphazeleka kakhulu ngalawo enkumbulo nawokucinga. Iiseli zobuchopho ezinento yokwenza neemvakalelo zichaphazeleka sisaqala esi sifo nto leyo eguqula ubuntu baloo mntu. Ezinye iindawo zobuchopho zisenokusinda ixesha elide—iindawo ezinokuthanani nokubona nokuchukumisa kwanemotor cortex, indawo eyalathisa ukusebenza kwezihlunu. Olu tshintsho, icacisa isitsho iScientific American, “luyanxunguphalisa xa ubona umntu okwaziyo ukuhamba, ukuthetha nokutya kodwa ongazaziyo nokuba uphi.”
Ngokuqhelekileyo, esi sifo sihlala iminyaka emi-5 ukusa kweli-10—kodwa ngamanye amaxesha ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-20. Njengoko sisiya sihlasela, kwabo banaso izinto ziya zisiba mbi ngakumbi. Ekugqibeleni, basenokungabazi nabo babathandayo. Xa esi sifo sele sihambele phambili, ngokuqhelekileyo abanaso baphelela ebhedini yaye abakwazi ukuthetha okanye ukuzityela. Noko ke, amaxhoba amaninzi ayafa ngenxa yezinye izizathu ngaphambi kokuba esi sifo sifikelele kweli nqanaba lokugqibela.
Nangona ukuqalisa kweAD kungebuhlungu, kubuhlungu gqitha ngokweemvakalelo. Ngokulindelekileyo, ekuqaleni abanye abakwazi ukumelana noku, benethemba lokuba le ngxaki iza kuphela.b Noko ke, kuba luncedo gqitha xa ubani esamkela ukuba unesi sifo aze afunde indlela yokunciphisa intlungu esiyidalayo. UBert, onomfazi oneminyaka engama-63 ubudala noneAD uthi: “Akwaba ndandiyazile kusengaphambili indlela ekuya kumchaphazela ngayo umguli ukuphelelwa yinkumbulo.” Ewe, kuluncedo kwiintsapho ukufunda ngendlela eyiyo iAD kwanendlela yokuhlangabezana nayo. Khawuhambisane noVukani! njengoko ehlolisisa ezi nezinye iinkalo kumanqaku amabini alandelayo.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a I-AD ligama elivela kuAlois Alzheimer, ugqirha ongumJamani owachaza esi sifo okokuqala ngowe-1906 emva kokwenza uhlolisiso kumguli onedementia. Kucingwa ukuba abantu abangaphezu kwama-60 ekhulwini abanedementia baneAD, yaye ichaphazela umntu om-1 kwabali-10 abangaphezu kweminyaka engama-65 ubudala. Olunye uhlobo lwedementia, oluyimulti-infarct dementia, lubangelwa kukuhlaselwa sistroke okungephi, okuthi kona konzakalise ingqondo.
b Isilumkiso: Ngaphambi kokufikelela kwisigqibo sokuba umntu uneAD kubalulekile ukuba axilongwe ngokucokisekileyo. Kubantu abamalunga nabali-10 ukusa kwabangama-20 ekhulwini abanedementia ibangelwa kukugula okunokunyangwa. Ngokuphathelele ukuxilongwa kweAD, incwadi ethi How to Care for Aging Parents icacisa isithi: “Isifo sika-Alzheimer sisenoxilongwa ngokuqinisekileyo kuphela ngokuhlolisisa ubuchopho besidumbu, kodwa oogqirha basenokungaziqondi ezinye izinto ezisenokusibangela esi sifo baze bazame ukusifumanisa ngokukhangela izinto ezilindelekileyo kumntu onesi sifo.”
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 12]
Ngonyaka wowe-2000 kuqikelelwa ukuba abantu abazizigidi ezili-100 baya kuba nesifo sika-Alzheimer