Today was the day for Still Alice and with Julianne Moore accepting the challenge, we were in for an authentically devastating  portrayal.  Here’s the storyline:

Dr. Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) is a renowned linguistics professor at Columbia University. When words begin to escape her and she starts becoming lost on her daily jogs, Alice must come face-to-face with a devastating diagnosis: early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As the once-vibrant woman struggles to hang on to her sense of self for as long as possible, Alice’s three grown children must watch helplessly as their mother disappears more and more with each passing day.

It was painful to watch Alice disappear and even though I was totally engaged with Moore’s Alice I would have loved to see her circle more fleshed out, especially Alec Baldwin, the loving husband, but once again, a selfish dog.

I’m remembering when I first learned about Alzheimer’s and worried that I might “get it”.  I started making this cause, my cause. When Alice is diagnosed, she comments that it would have been better if she had cancer.  I can relate.  I don’t see myself as a physical person. I’m all in my head and if my head left me?

Tuvia and I sat close together in the dark theater and as the credits rolled we  left in silence.  I tried  distracting us with  news on NPR but we couldn’t leave her behind.   We had our Friday night dinner with family to take us away, but we remain.

Here’s the link I just visited and donated something and I’m still with Alice.

http://www.alz.org