Jeff Borghoff, “I am the face of Alzheimer’s.”

“You are too young,” each doctor said as Jeff Borghoff was diagnosed with illnesses unrelated to dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.

One doctor even recommended meditation.

A Geeky Nerd Before it was Cool

Twenty years ago, Jeff was a technical architect. He developed computer software. When he reached the half-century mark, he was called upon to lead a large team of mostly younger people to work on large-scale projects. He was unable to keep up and grew increasingly concerned about an inability to maintain his prior level of multi-tasking.

Definitely, a Neurological Issue

Feeling stressed, he grew more anxious. His face began twitching and the right side began to droop. He went to the doctor who recommended he keep an eye on it (possible stroke). It got worse. Jeff’s wife suggested they go to ER. His body was going through myoclonic twitching – the kind you get when you move suddenly while drifting off to sleep – except the twitching was constant.

Initially, the diagnosis was epilepsy. Epileptic treatment turned him into a zombie. He went to a university hospital and they ruled out epilepsy. They suggested rarer causes of dementia, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

His stress and anxiety led to these neurological symptoms and none of the doctors believed it could be Alzheimer’s.

Finally, after a Year of Misdiagnoses…

In March of 2016, “I was officially diagnosed with younger-onset early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.” After a year of misdiagnoses, a spinal tap showed traces of the toxic tau protein. Acceptance in a clinical trial and a PET scan showed accumulation of beta amyloid plaques in his brain.

“Jeff, I think you have Alzheimer’s.”

Click on the embedded video interview below where a doctor finally gives him the diagnosis that fits his symptoms. Also, read this week’s update below about his father with vascular dementia.

Literally, an “Alzheimer’s Caregiver”

Jeff Borghoff is a person living with Alzheimer’s, who is also a family caregiver who cares for his father living with vascular dementia.

UPDATE: After our interview and earlier this week, Jeff lost his dad.

Jeff is the first to add a variation to PWoD – Person Without Dementia: Without research for a cure, you’ll likely be a PWoDY – a person without dementia, YET.

An advocate, he is raising awareness of dementia, including how our language still demeans people with dementia.

Jeff Borghoff says, “I am the face of Alzheimer’s,” and adds, “I’m just a pretty normal guy who happens to have Alzheimer’s.”