Former Vallejo poltical candidate gives hope, advocates for those with Alzheimer’s [Times-Herald, Vallejo, Calif.]

Sept. 27--On many days, Lou Bordisso of Vallejo gets stumped trying to remember the word he wants to use.

Sloughed off as ordinary forgetfulness for most, for him it's a reminder of the disease that permeates his mind and body -- younger-onset Alzheimer's.

Two years ago Bordisso, a former candidate for both the Vallejo City Council and school board, received a diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

Since then, Bordisso, 59, has embraced a new mission of raising awareness of Alzheimer's -- a progressive disease which leads to profound memory loss, and other mental and physical deterioration.

Most associate Alzheimer's with aging, but younger-onset affects people mostly in their 40s and 50s. Up to 5 percent have younger-onset, or about 200,000 Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Alzheimer's is associated with dementia, an umbrella term which includes other ailments involving confusion and memory loss.

Bordisso's goal is to generate understanding about Alzheimer's and "maybe offer an alternative option or way of looking at (the disease) and putting a different face on it. The face that most people put on Alzheimer's is someone who is a bit older than myself and there's just not that much information" about younger-onset, he said.

Bordisso serves on the California Alzheimer's Advisory Committee and in the Alzheimer's Association. He's attended advocacy forums in Washington, D.C., contributed to online blogs and told state and federal lawmakers his

story.

On Saturday and on Oct. 6, Bordisso will speak at Walk to End Alzheimer's events in San Francisco and Sacramento as part of many such walk-a-thons.

As a volunteer advocate and member of the Alzheimer's Association National Early Stage Advisory Group, he said he also hopes to change how others view those with this disease. He is also intent on advocating for more research and better treatment, encouraging volunteerism, and raising money for a cure or better medication to control symptoms.

He said he was fortunate to be diagnosed early and put on medications that help keep symptoms at bay. "It gives me some hope that there will be some medication that researchers will discover," he said.

Bordisso said learning he has Alzheimer's gave a name to problems he had been wrestling with at work and in managing his personal finances.

Since then life has changed dramatically for the retired priest in a small Catholic reform group who ran for City Council in 2007 and the Vallejo school board in 2009.

Three weeks ago, Bordisso had to stop driving. He must now use taxis and public transportation to and from his home on Mare Island, which has no bus service.

"My whole life has been turned upside down," he said. Two roommates, plus a caregiver (or care partner), provide companionship and help at home, he said.

Earlier, Bordisso stopped working full-time as a mental health provider for Contra Costa County where he advocated for those criminals found not guilty by reason of insanity. He said he is still trying to find a way to work part-time.

Bordisso said that before he was diagnosed secretaries noticed he had trouble with written reports, making presentations and testifying in court.

"I couldn't function in the same way because of the dementia," he said.

Much time since the diagnosis has been spent navigating life insurance policies, long-term care planning, Social Security, state disability insurance and health care.

Besides his work for the Alzheimer's Association, he also regularly travels by train to Sacramento to visit his father, who has dementia and is in a care facility.

Bordisso said plunging into Alzheimer's advocacy work gives him hope and strength.

"This gives me a sense of purpose also gets me involved and knowing about the latest medical advances," he said. "I'm kept in the loop and that's quite empowering," he said.

"It also gives me a chance to give back," he said.

Contact staff writer Sarah Rohrs at [email protected] or (707) 553-6832. Follow her on Twitter @SarahVTH.

At a glance:

Facts, figures, resources to learn more about and cope with Alzheimer's

--Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder damaging the brain, resulting in behavioral changes, and loss of memory, thinking and language skills.

--A common early symptom of Alzheimer's is difficulty remembering newly learned information.

--5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease.

--One in eight older Americans has Alzheimer's disease.

--Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only cause of death among the top 10 (in the U.S.) that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

--More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care valued at $210 billion for loved ones with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

--To learn more about Alzheimer's disease and overcoming stigma, call (800) 272-3900 or visit www.alz.org/WAM.

--To participate in a Walk to End Alzheimer's this month, visit www.alz.org/norcal/.

--Local resources for Solano and Napa county families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's are available through the Solano/Napa Area Agency on Aging at (707) 644-6612.

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