Vikram's TED Talk Reflection

This is a TED Talk given by Alanna Shaikh, a woman whose father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2005. The disheartening title is "How I'm preparing to get Alzheimer's".

Mrs. Shaikh has no substantial reason to expect getting Alzheimer's Disease other than the fact that her father was diagnosed with it. However, she lives in fear of it and is preaching to an audience of normal adults, who may or may not know someone living with dementia. The video itself can be aimed at any audience because no matter who you are, you will grow old if you are fortunate enough to and that is all it takes to be prone to Alzheimer's Disease. She uses the metaphor of Alzheimer's being a "monster" and says "if the monster wants you, the monster will get you" taking a stab at the spontaneity and sheer randomness of Alzheimer's Disease's victims. She goes on to talk about how she is changing her life so that she will be able to perform autonomous tasks if she gets Alzheimer's and that it is actually making her try to change into a better person. This paradigm shift and introspective period of her life is most likely the direct result of losing the ability to communicate with her father well. The extent that she is changing her life may be a little extreme, but it is for the better and reflects just how much Alzheimer's Disease can indirectly impact people through family members and friends.