Alzheimer's disease: Invest in your brain today

00:00-00:02
[White background with red Lilly logo appears.]

00:02-00:08
[Sue and Jim are sitting on a khaki suede couch in their living room. They are in comfortable clothing and in relaxed seating positions: Sue has her hands crossed on top of her lap while Jim, sitting to Sue’s left, is seated with his legs crossed.]

Caption: Sue, Jim’s Wife; Jim

Sue: My son and I both noticed it, that Jim's speech just didn't seem normal.

00:08-00:24
[A photo montage of Jim begins playing; the first photo is of Sue and Jim smiling in a wood-paneled room; the second photo is of Jim sitting on their khaki suede couch with a dog asleep in his lap; the third photo is of Jim sitting in a beach chair, looking at the ocean with their dog at his side. After the photo montage, the scene cuts back to Sue and Jim on their couch.]

Sue: Jim was always a guy who just talked to anybody and everybody. He was having trouble pronouncing words, finding the right word. I even remember him saying, “I can't even talk!” You know, he would get frustrated. And that's when we needed to get some doctor's help and see what was going on.

00:25-00:31
[Scene remains on Sue and Jim sitting on their couch.]

Sue: Never did I ever suspect that it was Alzheimer’s disease. We had gone through the evaluations and it just didn't look good.

00:32-00:36
[Camera cuts to Sue, whose voice trembles and eyes begin to well as she recalls the moment she realized Jim may have dementia.]

Sue: I'm sorry. Getting emotional right now, but...

00:36-00:53
[Scene remains on Sue and Jim sitting on their couch. Sue is visibly becoming emotional recalling her experience as a caregiver while Jim comforts her]

Sue: I was having such a rough day at work because I knew deep down that he had dementia at a really young age, and I didn't know what I was going to do. And it was really rough. I'm sorry.

00:56-01:12
[Camera cuts back to Sue, who is now composed. Alternating cuts between Sue and Jim continue.]

Sue: I had a feeling of dread, you know, doom. And we had all these plans. I thought, “We can't do anything,” you know? We won't be able to travel. I just remember crying nonstop, all the time. We were out at the pool, and Jim says to me, “I don't think we're doing enough.”

01:12-01:24
[Scene remains on Sue and Jim, as a photo of Sue and Jim at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s® event appears, then cuts back to Sue and Jim on the couch.]

Sue: The next time we met with the doctor, we just really talked to them to say, “What can we do? We feel like, you know, it's like a hopeless situation. We're just letting him fade.” And that's when we first found out about maybe we can get into a clinical trial.

01:24-01:32
[A photo of Sue and Jim smiling on a park bench outside appears, then the scene cuts back to Sue and Jim sitting on their couch.]

Sue: The feeling I had when he qualified was a feeling of relief, like, “Oh my God, there's some hope. Maybe this will help him.”

01:34-01:44
[Footage of Jim grilling hamburgers outside begins to play, then cuts to footage of Sue and Jim enjoying the hamburgers at their dining table. The scene returns to Sue on their couch, just before cutting to footage of Jim walking their dog outside in their neighborhood.]

Sue: Jim. . . He's never been really down and depressed about it. He's still just lives his life. Jim likes to walk the dog, so he takes him for a walk. How about household chores?

01:44-01:49
[Scene cuts back to Sue and Jim on the couch. Jim looks at her with playful smile just before they share a laugh together.]

Jim: I leave that to you. No, I help. I try to help a little bit.

01:49-01:55
[Footage appears of Jim at a bowling alley, about to toss a ball as Sue looks on from the background. We see the ball striking the pins, just before the scene cuts back to Sue and Jim laughing on the couch.]

Sue: We bowl in three different bowling leagues.

Jim: We bowl?

Sue: Yes. We bowl.

01:56-02:19
[Footage appears of Jim back at a bowling alley, about to hit the final strike of a perfect game. Once he strikes the pins, Jim looks back at the camera and shrugs his arms out in a nonchalant manner, just before the scene returns to Sue and Jim on the couch.]

Sue: Recently he bowled another perfect game. It got down to the very last ball and, sure enough, he hit the perfect game. And I was yelling and screaming and everybody was clapping. And he was just like nonchalant, “Oh well!” you know?

Jim: It's not a big deal. Not a big deal.

Sue: Were you nervous on that last ball?

Jim: I don't think so. I don’t know.

Sue: You didn’t seem to be.

02:19-02:40
[A montage begins to play: the first photo is of Sue and Jim smiling together at the beach with a lighthouse and coastline in the background; the second photo is of Sue and Jim sitting in front of a flowerbed overlooking a marina; the third photo is of Jim standing outside with a grand valley in the background; the fourth is a video clip of Jim standing beside a Hawaiian harbor; the fifth photo is of Sue and Jim sitting together in front of the sign for Waimea Canyon Lookout. The scene cuts back to Sue and Jim sitting on their couch, before closing on a clip of them standing outside their home together, laughing.]

Sue: It's just critical to get the diagnosis as soon as possible. I'm just grateful that he's here. I'm grateful that we're able to do a little bit of traveling. And one big thing on our bucket list was Hawaii. We need to live our life and, you know, I just feel this urgency. Just more time with him. And we haven't had enough time yet.

Jim: Yeah.

02:40-02:43
[White background with red Lilly logo fades into frame to conclude the video.]

00:00-00:10
[White background with red Lilly logo appears as piano begins playing in the background. The logo fades from the screen into a series of clips highlighting the La Verne, California landscape and cityscape. Footage of Myra playing the piano in her home appears on screen.]

Myra: I absolutely love music.

00:11-00:
[A photo montage of Myra’s family begins to play: the first photo is a black-and-white photograph from her parents’ wedding; the second photo is a black-and-white headshot of Myra as a child; the third photo is another picture from her parents’ wedding; the fourth picture is of Myra as a child and her father walking on a beach together.]

My family is from Cuba and they were Cuban immigrants. But I was born in the US, and it was a household filled with music. There are so many beautiful Cuban songs that my mother would be singing. It was just a lovely growing up time.

00:30-00:50
[The scene cuts to Myra singing a Spanish Opera song in her living room, then cuts to Myra sitting in a room with stained glass in the background.]

Myra: I'm Myra Solano Garcia, and I am living with Alzheimer's disease.

00:53-01:03
[The scene cuts to a photograph of Myra singing on a stage with a pianist behind her.]

Myra: For so many people, they are so afraid of being on stage. But for me, it has always been so natural.

01:04-01:11
[The scene returns to Myra sitting in a room with stained glass in the background.]

Caption: Myra Solano Garcia, Living with Alzheimer’s

Myra: I had opportunities to travel across the country and just enjoy the power of music.

01:12-01:41
[The scene cuts to one of Myra’s colleagues, Shawn Kirchner. Cuts between Shawn speaking to the camera from a piano bench to Myra singing set the scene.]

Caption: Shawn Kirchner, composer, songwriter, and publisher

Shawn: Myra had a real big career back East as a soloist. So when she first arrived, we were so excited and we worked with her a lot as a featured soloist.

Shawn: But more recently, I remember one choir practice thinking the question she's asking describing the page number. The measure number is just not computing and doesn't make any sense to me.

Shawn: Once we had the diagnosis of Alzheimer's, then I'm like, “Oh my gosh.” But I mean, all things withstanding, it's just fantastic that we're able to work with her and that she's contributing so much.

01:42-01:53
[Scene cuts back to Myra, sitting at her kitchen table holding a professional photo of herself. The frame zooms into the photo, before cutting back to Myra at her kitchen table.]

Myra: This photo is from when I was just hired at the University of La Verne as a vice president. I looked a lot younger then. I wonder why?

01:53-02:21
[A photo montage of Myra in her role at the University of La Verne begins: the first and second photos are of Myra speaking from a lectern; the third and fourth photos are of Myra at university networking events. The scene returns to Myra in front of the stained glass after the montage.]

Myra: The first two years I felt were very strong years. It was about the third year when things started not feeling right, and I went to different neurologists and they would say, “No, you're fine. You have A.D.D.” And to be honest, I was thrilled because I really feared that it was going to be Alzheimer's disease.

02:21-02:40
[A photo montage of Myra begins: the first photo is of Myra at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s® event; the second photo is of Myra leaning on a railing with a lush landscape in the background; the third photo is of Myra resting her head on her husband’s shoulder with a lake and mountain in the background.]

Myra: When I finally got the Alzheimer's diagnosis, I was relieved because I knew that I was still having cognitive problems. A neuro psychiatrist encouraged me to enter a clinical trial. And I'm so very grateful.

02:40-03:03
[Scene cuts to Myra singing in her home, then cuts to various settings: the first is a zoomed-in look at two photos of Myra and her husband in formal wear; the second is footage of Myra driving her car; the third is footage of Myra jogging in athletic clothing.]

Myra: [singing] There's a somebody I'm longing to see. . .

Myra: My husband takes great care of me. We have a lot of fun. On the weekends, we get in the car, and we just go traveling throughout California. Not too long ago, we did a 5K race. I came in second place in my age group.

03:03-03:16
[The scene returns to Myra in front of the stained-glass background.]

Myra: While I have Alzheimer's disease. I can no longer do numbers. I have difficulty with names. But I can still sing.

03:16-03:51
[The scene cuts to the front entrance of a continuing care organization in Myra’s community. It’s followed by alternating cuts of Myra singing with memory unit residents and her back in front of the stained-glass background.]

Myra: [singing] Amazing grace. . .

Myra: I volunteer at a continuing care organization, singing with the memory unit residents, and I am fully cognizant that I'm going to be following in their paths. But in the meantime, it just brings me joy. You can see that they're confused. But we start singing, and so many of them know all the words. I think that that is the power of music.

03:52-04:04
[The scene cuts back to an establishing shot of Shawn Kirchner, Myra’s colleague. Alternating cuts between Myra singing with the memory unit residents and Shawn play out.]

Shawn: Music, they say, lights up so many areas of the brain. And so, it makes total sense that Myra feels at home despite whatever is going on with her diagnosis. Music is with us to the end.

04:04-04:
[The scene cuts to the exterior of a church at nighttime. Alternating cuts of Myra singing with a choir in the church follows, including shots of Shawn with the choir.]

Myra: I'm so grateful I've found a church community that really sings to my soul. I love singing and I love bringing music to others. We're all going to go at some point in time, and if I go via Alzheimer's disease, it is what it is.

04:32-04:50
[The scene cuts to Myra back at her kitchen table, looking at photographs, then has alternating cuts of Myra driving, bringing trash cans from her curb back into her garage, reading in her living room, and standing smiling in her garden.]

Myra: Because I can still do things that are important to me— I can drive, I can take care of the house, I can read—I'm going to focus on those, and I'm not going to focus on the things that I can't do. So, I'm not afraid. I'm just living life and loving life.

04:51-04:55
[White background with red Lilly logo fades into frame to conclude the video.]

00:00-00:02
[White background with red Lilly logo appears.]

00:03-00:12
[Mary and Peggy are sitting on a tan couch in their living room. They are both wearing sweatshirts and are seated comfortably with their hands on top of their laps. Mary is seated with her legs crossed. After we are introduced to Mary, a montage of old photos begins to play: the first photo is of Mary in a white dress outside with a gentleman in the background wearing a tie; the second photo is of Mary’s mother and father at a dining table.]

Caption: Mary

Mary: My mother had Alzheimer's disease. At that point in time, I didn't know that that was going to be me someday. But I kind of thought maybe someday it might. And I'm glad that I went through it with her, because I know what to expect.

00:13-00:24
[The scene then returns to Mary and Peggy on their couch. A montage with photos of them together begins to play; the first photo is of Mary and Peggy sitting in doors together; the second photo is of them standing outside together in summer clothing; the third photo is of them sitting in a restaurant booth, with Mary leaning her head on Peggy’s shoulder; the fourth photo is of them at a high-top table in a bar.]

Caption: Peggy

Peggy: We have been married since 2014. We have been together for 30 years. I chased her for six months. Then she finally realized that it's all good.

Mary: “She’s serious.”

00:24-00:38
[The scene then returns to Mary and Peggy on their couch.]

Mary: I worked for the Department of Natural Resources, and so I traveled the state a lot. Well, I got to the point where I couldn't remember which road to take. Finding errors that I normally wouldn't have made that were so simple and so easy.

00:38-00:57
[A photo of Mary at a doctor’s office, completing a cognitive assessment appears. The scene then cuts back to Mary and Peggy on their couch.]

Mary: When I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it was kind of a shock but we knew something was wrong. I didn't know what was going on in my brain. Why I was forgetting everything, losing everything. Uh, wallets, money.

Peggy: Her wedding ring, she would just take off and forget. Lost four of those, now she wears it around her neck.

00:57-01:16
[Footage plays of Mary and Peggy sitting in a bench on their porch with their dog in the background before cutting back to them on their couch.]

Mary: I was relieved to know that there was something—that I was diagnosed, because we knew that I was having issues.

Peggy: There was some depression there too, I think.

Mary: Oh yeah, there was some depression.

Peggy: ‘Cause, I mean, that that's not the best scenario that you really want. But she was, I guess, almost relieved that now she knows, “this is why I'm doing this.”

01:17-01:34
[Footage of Mary and Peggy having a conversation in their kitchen plays, followed by clips of Mary walking their dog on the sidewalk in her neighborhood, completing a puzzle at her kitchen table with Peggy watching, and a gathering with their friends in the outdoor seating section at a restaurant. After all of the footage plays, two photos of Mary and Peggy appear: the first is of them in summer clothing with the ocean in the background; the second is of them outside on a promenade.]

Mary: So far, it's been okay. I seem to be maintaining fairly well, which is makes me happy. I don't know if it's because I'm active, I walk. I do a lot of reading. I do a lot of puzzles.

Peggy: Twice a month we'll meet friends for lunch. In February, we went to Florida and just to get away.

01:35-01:47
[The scene cuts back to Mary on her couch, then footage of her lying down on the couch playing games on her phone.]

Mary: If I could slow down the progression, I would. I think I've tried to do as much as I can do to make it slow down. Advice I can give other people who have it? Find it while it's still early, while they can do something more with it.

01:47-02:06
[A photo of Mary sitting with her dog on the couch appears, followed by photos of Mary standing next to an ocean and Mary sitting on a boat. The scene then cuts back to Mary and Peggy on their couch.]

Mary: It's a depressing thing, and it's something that you don't want to accept in your life, but you need to tackle it and get a grip on it early. I know I'm declining because my wife tells me I am declining all the time! But I know that's going to happen. I'm going to be grateful for what I get.

Peggy: For as much time as...

Mary: Time as I get, yeah.

02:06-02:08
[Scene cuts to Peggy and Mary standing together in their home laughing.]

Mary: As much as I can remember, for as long as I can get.

02:09-02:15
[White background with red Lilly logo fades into frame to conclude the video.]