A woman facing Early-Onset Alzheimer’s has opened up about the initial symptoms she noticed.
Two years ago, Rebecca Luna described her life as ‘fast paced’, but now she must adjust to the reality of her diagnosis, which has significantly altered her life.
Following a series of medical evaluations, the 48-year-old received a diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s, also known as Young-Onset.
She has been sharing her journey and how she is coping with the diagnosis on social media, where she has received supportive messages on her TikTok account.
On her GoFundMe page, Rebecca candidly discussed her future prospects and the support she requires.
She wrote: “I am facing a rare form of Alzheimer’s: Early Onset Alzheimer’s. This disease is terminal and progressive with a shorter (8 years) life expectancy.
“I’m doing my best to live fully, work and take care of myself-but the reality is that I won’t be able to do that forever. As this illness progresses I will eventually lose the ability to work, live independently and support myself financially.
“This go fund me is to help create savings to help with basic living expenses, medications, therapies and other out of pocket expenses, financial help for me and my children for the unknown.”
In a conversation with Yahoo, the mother of two elaborated on her increasing forgetfulness, which was her first significant symptom.
In the interview, she recounted how she initially attributed her forgetfulness to stress, saying: “I’ve been in my job for a few years. When I opened the computer [one morning] and looked at it, I didn’t know what to do.
“I didn’t know where to start. Normally, you would start your job and you’d be like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this, this, this.’ I had no idea. There was just … nothingness.”
Rebecca further discussed more severe incidents that occurred due to her worsening forgetfulness.
She continued: “Things happened [next] that were obviously [signs that] something was going on. I was boiling an egg. I left it on the stove, and then I walked downtown, which is a half-hour walk.
“When I got downtown, I realized I left the stove on. I ran home, and my house was covered in smoke. So, it literally almost caught my house on fire.”
Despite the seriousness of her condition, Rebecca maintains a positive outlook for herself and her loved ones.
To donate to Luna’s GoFundMe, click here.