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10A Daily News – Saturday, November 10, 2012 Glory Days & maturity Akron Beacon Journal (MCT) HUDSON, Ohio — Being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at a young age is not going to slow down Joan Uronis. In fact, Uronis sees the diagnosis that came at the age of 62 as a blessing. "I look at Alzheimer's as a gift I have been given by God to do with what I want to do with and use it for the good of others," she said. "And that is what I am going to do." This month — National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month — the story of Joan and Al Uro- nis will serve as an exam- ple of how the disease affects families. At first, Joan Uronis found she got lost while driving to familiar places, even to the home of family members. Then she had greater difficulty doing two or more tasks at the same time. She would forget friends' names. Last year, she got the lifestyles Woman with early Alzheimer's speaks out on illness By Jim Carney Travel insurance valuable MCT photo Joan Uronis, left, and her husband, Al, talk about what their lives are like after she was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease at 61, during an interview at their home on Oct. 24. official diagnosis. Uronis, 63, who worked as a general manager in the health-care field for many years, and her husband, Al Uronis, 64, her caregiver, recently were named to the 20-member National Alzheimer's Association Early Stage Advisory Board. Only 4 percent of Alzheimer's cases are con- sidered "early onset," which affects people who get the disease before they reach 65. Joan Uronis said the disease progresses more rapidly in early onset patients like her. Uronis was fired from her job last year, she said, when she was having diffi- culty doing what was required of her, like remembering conference calls, handling budgeting and other duties. "Alzheimer's causes confusion, so if you have too many things going on at the same time, it is hard for your mind to grasp that," said Al Uronis, who works as an account man- ager for a Cleveland com- pany. He said he plans to work only part time next year so he can spend more time with his wife. The lifespan of people with early onset Alzheimer's is five to seven years, Al Uronis said. Joan Uronis said she has trouble following what she reads. Her husband said that when they watch a television show, she often can't follow the storyline. He often wonders, "Are we watching the same show?" he said, because of her difficulty following what's happening. Her mother and uncle The couple has been speaking at Alzheimer's Association meetings and traveled to Chicago for the filming of an educational video for the American College of Physicians Foundation. both had Alzheimer's dis- ease, Joan Uronis said. "I was a caregiver to my mom, and now I am living it," she said. Because she worked in the health-care field, she said, she has extra compas- sion for those who have the disease. buying travel insurance to protect yourself against the unexpected. Key things to know: —Typically, travel insurance reimburses you for such things as nonrefundable cruise deposits or airfares — and for the cost of rescheduling flights — when weather, ill- ness, natural disaster or terrorism cause your trip to be can- celed or delayed. Plans differ slightly from one another, so be sure to read the fine print. —Some policies cover medical expenses incurred out- side the United States, and may pay for emergency evacu- ation in case of a serious injury or health problem. Some providers will not cover pre-existing medical conditions. —You can buy travel insurance through a travel agent, your tour company or sites such as InsureMyTrip.com, Squaremouth.com and QuoteWright.com. The cost typi- cally is 4 percent to 8 percent of the trip's price. You may get a better rate if you buy a policy within 14 days of mak- ing the first deposit for your trip. —If you want the option to back out of your trip and get your money back at any time, some carriers offer "can- cel for any reason" coverage at an extra cost. The price is around 10 percent of the trip's cost. —If you have a dispute with a travel insurance By Scott J. Wilson Los Angeles Times (MCT) If you're spending a lot of money on a trip, consider provider, consider contacting your credit card company, or the hotel or tour operator, and asking for a refund. Disability forms; Medicare help from states McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: What is the difference between the disability appli- cation and the disability report? Do I have to complete both? This isn't the first time Uronis has experienced a health crisis. In 1990, she had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor. "I have always taken the challenges and turned them into opportunities," she said. "I turned it into something positive." Now, she said, "I have Alzheimer's, and I am out advocating for those who have Alzheimer's." receive Social Security disability or Supplemental Securi- ty Income benefits, you must file a disability application. A disability report provides information about your current physical or mental condition. We need this to process your disability application. In all, to establish a claim, you need to submit a disability application, a dis- ability report, and an authorization to release medical records. You can learn more and apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability. A: A disability application is a claim for benefits. To This column was prepared by the Social Security Administration. For fast answers to specific Social Security questions, contact Social Security toll-free at 800-772-1213. For grapefruit lovers, the news isn't good I've heard that grapefruit can interact dangerously with some medications. Is this true? DEAR DOCTOR K: DEAR READER: I love grapefruit and grapefruit juice, so I remember my reaction the day a colleague told me about new research showing such dangerous interactions: Bummer! Grapefruit and grape- fruit juice are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and other nutrients. But there's another side to the story. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice really can interact with dozens of medications — sometimes with danger- ous results. Doctors are not sure which of the chemicals in grapefruit are responsible for changing the way your body handles certain drugs. The leading candidate is a chemical that binds to an enzyme (a type of protein) in your intestinal tract. This enzyme normally reduces the absorption of certain medicines. When grape- fruit juice blocks the enzyme, it's easier for the medication to pass from your gut to your blood- stream. As a result, blood levels rise faster and higher than normal. In some cases, the abnormally high levels can be dangerous. drugs for erectile dysfunc- tion and immunosuppres- sants. Grapefruit juice can boost the effect of many drugs to varying degrees. Unfortunately for us grape- fruit lovers, those include some of the most widely prescribed drugs: calcium channel blockers, statins, benzodiazepines, neurolog- ical and psychiatric drugs, Why is it a problem to boost the effects of drugs that are bringing health benefits? Because if blood levels of beneficial drugs get too high, they can pro- duce toxic effects. For example, high levels of benzodiazepines can make you fall asleep at the wheel. High levels of statins can cause muscle and liver damage. Different brands of the same type of drug may be more or less affect- ed by grapefruit. On my website, AskDoctorK.com, I've put a chart list- ing which brands of various types of drugs are more or less affected. It doesn't take much grapefruit juice to boost the levels of affected drugs — sometimes it takes only a single glass. What's more, the effect wears off slowly, and its impact is still evident after 24 hours. To be on the safe side, ask your doctor if any of the medicines you take are affected by grapefruit. If the answer is yes: juice. hooked on grapefruit juice, ask your doctor whether you can switch to a related (but less vulnerable) drug in a class, such as a differ- — Switch to orange — If you are really Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. ent kind of statin. — Avoid taking your pills and your juice simultane- ously. The more time between the two — and the smaller your glass of juice — the bet- ter. the same effect on medica- tions as grapefruit. Apply the guidelines for grape- fruit to them as well. You might wonder if my advice isn't too conserva- tive. It may be. Someday, more research may show that while there is an increased risk of danger- ously high blood levels of certain drugs, the risk that a person will suffer serious consequences still is small. Until we know more, this grapefruit lover has reluc- tantly decided to make it an occasional guilty pleasure. Finally, Seville (sour) oranges and tangelos may have Kelli Hendryk Employee of Honor at is the Red Bluff Healthcare Center As Business Office Manager for the last 8 years, she excels at a very challenging job including a happy team spirit. Kelli even finds the time for her part time dessert business. She and her husband Brian enjoy their time together. We appreciate all that Kelli does! 530-527-6232 555 Luther Road. Red Bluff