A woman from Knoxville, Tennessee, has shared her unexpected journey of being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and the symptoms she encountered. At just 47 years old, Staci Marklin noticed something was amiss but never imagined it would be such a significant condition, typically associated with older generations.
Having recently become a mother, Staci attributed her symptoms to the common ‘mom brain’ often experienced postpartum.
John Hopkins Medicine states that Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent type of dementia. While it predominantly affects older adults, cases occurring in individuals younger than 65 are classified as early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
This disease impacts memory, cognitive abilities, and behavior, and can advance to a stage where significant healthcare is required, affecting daily activities and functioning.
The hospital notes that while the exact cause of Alzheimer’s onset is not known, a family history of the disease is the sole recognized risk factor for early-onset cases.
Marklin described her symptoms as subtle, initially manifesting as mixing up words. She recounted: “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.'”
Additionally, she mentioned incidents where information would completely escape her recollection. “There would be times when things would just disappear from my brain,” she shared. “Someone once asked me about a co-worker, and I had absolutely no idea who they were talking about.”
She later realized it was a colleague she had worked closely with, highlighting the extent of her memory lapses.
Upon visiting the doctor, she was initially informed that her chances of having the condition were ‘rare’ despite her grandmother’s diagnosis. However, following several tests, Staci received a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s in October 2024, confirmed by an amyloid PET scan that revealed amyloid plaques in her brain.
Staci has since begun new treatments and has been vocal about the challenges and stigma faced by Alzheimer’s patients, using social media to share her experiences. She remarked, “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. It was difficult for me to get people to believe me and to trust the results I had gotten.”