Michael Sather was on a trip to Hawaii when he realized something was really wrong.

An avid birder, the former MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, was on the big island of Kailua-Kona searching for nightjars, cuckoos, nenes, and other unique fowl, but he couldn害羞草研究所檛 remember the names.

When he returned to the resort he was staying at with his wife, Annette LeBox, he told her what had happened, and then the former mental health therapist made a startling self-diagnosis.

害羞草研究所淚 think I have the beginnings of dementia,害羞草研究所� he told her that day, about six years ago.

害羞草研究所淲e both cried,害羞草研究所� said LeBox, because they both already knew what the journey was going to be like.

The 75-year-old would eventually be diagnosed with aphasia, a disease that affects a person害羞草研究所檚 ability to remember words and communicate with others.

According to the American organization National Aphasia Association, it害羞草研究所檚 an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. Aphasia, the association says, is always due to injury to the brain, most commonly from a stroke, particularly in older individuals, but can also arise from head trauma, brain tumours, or infections.

Sather remembers two events in his life which he believes were the cause of his diagnosis 害羞草研究所� as there is no history of dementia in his family.

In 1975, he survived an attack by a grizzly bear during which a sow, defending her two cubs, swatted his head, permanently scarring him with her claws.

Preceding the bear attack, he was a passenger in a car that crashed and fell to the ground unconscious after exiting the vehicle. He would end up in intensive care.

Last year, the family of iconic actor Bruce Willis, known for his role as John McClane in the blockbuster Die Hard films, Korben Dallas in The Fifth Element, and as Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction, announced he would be retiring from acting because he has aphasia.

LeBox admitted before the trip to Hawaii she had noticed that her husband was using word fillers when he was struggling to find a word. He would say things like, 害羞草研究所渁nd so on and so forth,害羞草研究所� when he couldn害羞草研究所檛 finish his thoughts.

And so she was happy when Willis害羞草研究所� family opened up about his condition because not only did it raise awareness about the disorder, but she was also made aware of a program through the , which gives people with aphasia exercises with word finding.

They have also discovered the Maple Ridge BC Purple Angel Dementia Support group, founded by Myrna Norman 害羞草研究所� a group that offers support for those with dementia and their caregivers. A group, noted LeBox, that has helped them a lot because it made them realize they are not the only people on this very difficult journey.

The other day, said LeBox, they talked about fathers and Norman went around the group asking participants to talk about their fathers. Just conversational starters, said LeBox, but it gets everyone talking. And sometimes Norman also plays little word games with the group.

害羞草研究所淎nd Myrna is so inspiring. She is always talking about joy,害羞草研究所� added LeBox.

Since his diagnosis, LeBox said there have been some scares. On a trip to Palm Springs, he left the resort he was staying at one morning for a walk and didn害羞草研究所檛 return until about eight hours later. Turns out he hiked to the top of Murray Peak and back. In the meantime, LeBox called the police and ended up with a search party made up of 15 police cars, one search-and-rescue helicopter, and two 害羞草研究所渕assive害羞草研究所� police drones.

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Another time, he disappeared along the dike trail behind the Maple Ridge Equi-Sports Centre while taking photographs. He returned home about three hours later.

LeBox attends a writer害羞草研究所檚 group every Friday morning for three hours and on the way home she will find herself stressing about where her husband might be. Will he be at home? Will he be out walking?

Now she tries not to stress too much about it and trusts that he will find his way home.

害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 change his behaviour, but maybe I can change mine,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淢ichael loves to walk, to run, to be in the outdoors. I don害羞草研究所檛 want to keep him home,害羞草研究所� explained LeBox. 害羞草研究所淚 have to learn how to, at least at this point, not to worry so much about him.害羞草研究所�

LeBox believes her husband害羞草研究所檚 fitness routines have slowed the progression of the disease. He is a runner, she said, and they both lift weights and attend spin classes together.

They also meditate for about 25 minutes, six nights out of seven, a routine that is capped off with a cup of tea and a 害羞草研究所済oodie害羞草研究所�.

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Sather said he was relieved when he was finally diagnosed 害羞草研究所� even though it still came as a shock.

Because I didn害羞草研究所檛 realize害羞草研究所�I just didn害羞草研究所檛 know that this was coming on quite as much as it was,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 generally OK, but it害羞草研究所檚 certainly not always OK,害羞草研究所� he said about the way he is currently feeling.

Recently MLA Nicholas Simons for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, a former colleague of Sather, gave a two minute speech in the B.C. legislature about his friend害羞草研究所檚 diagnosis, advocating for donations to Purple Angel, , and 害羞草研究所� to which all donations are tax deductible, he explained.

Sather and LeBox are hoping that by speaking publicly about the disorder, they will help erase the stigma of dementia, something they have both felt since Sather害羞草研究所檚 diagnosis.

害羞草研究所淣ow it will be out there and we don害羞草研究所檛 have to hide anything. We don害羞草研究所檛 have to pretend,害羞草研究所� said LeBox to her husband.

害羞草研究所淎nd I think that the more people who come out and tell their story, I think the more acceptance there will be,害羞草研究所� said LeBox.

For more information about the Maple Ridge BC Purple Angel Dementia Support group call 778-868-9470 or go to: .