A 47-year-old mother who received a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease has shared some of the initial signs she experienced.
Residing in Knoxville, Tennessee, Staci Marklin first noticed something unusual in 2024 but did not anticipate the severity of the situation.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects memory and recognition, being one of the leading causes of dementia.
At that time, Staci’s son, Gunnar, was only two years old, leading her to attribute the symptoms to pregnancy-related changes and the phenomenon known as ‘mom brain’ postpartum.
Unfortunately, these signs were indicative of a more serious condition.
Initially, the symptoms were subtle, with Staci noticing that she began to mix up words for specific items.
She explained: “It’s hard to say when the symptoms actually started because I was having them when I was pregnant and post-partum with my son.
“I initially brushed the forgetfulness on pregnancy and postpartum mom brain.
“I would say stuff like ‘move the carpet’ instead of ‘move the curtain’.”
Although this didn’t seem significant at first, the situation worsened over time.
“There would be times when things would just disappear from my brain,” said Staci.
“Someone once asked me about a co-worker, and I had absolutely no idea who they were talking about.
“I could tell it was someone I should know by the way they were talking.
“It was a few days later when I realized it was a co-worker that I had worked really closely with.”
Given her family history, Staci began to suspect Alzheimer’s, as her grandmother had been diagnosed with the condition. However, a doctor mentioned that the likelihood of her having it at her age would be ‘rare’.
After a series of tests, Staci was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in October 2024. An amyloid PET scan demonstrated amyloid plaques in her brain.
She admitted: “By the time I was getting these tests, I had already stopped working and I knew something was wrong.”
Her cognitive function level was alarmingly low, at the bottom zero percent to 10 percent expected for her age group.
Staci added: “I saw the result and knew what it meant.
“I was with my husband at the time and we were in shock.
“We cried together and knew nothing would ever be the same again.”
Currently, Staci, who has recently begun a new treatment called lecanemab, marketed under the brand name Leqembi, has been speaking out about the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s patients.
“People generally see this as an older person’s disease and view people with Alzheimer’s as if they can’t do anything for themselves,” she said.
“It was difficult for me to get people to believe me and to trust the results I had gotten.”
Staci has been creating TikTok videos for her son and family to remember her by, including her husband Erik, 46, whom she has been married to for nearly 16 years, and her step-daughter Rylee, 21.
If you’ve been affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer’s Association via 800.272.3900 open 24 hours seven days a week.