Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: local woman shares her journey battling Alzheimer’s

Bend, OR (KTVZ) - Alzheimer’s disease often begins like a haze, scattered moments of confusion that slowly cloud memory and clarity. Cindi Garvee knows this all too well.

Diagnosed several years ago, the Bend woman says her earliest signs were more than typical forgetfulness.

“As you get older, you can't remember things anyway,” she said. “But with this, it was different. I couldn't remember anything.”

With support from local neurologist Dr. Ferenz, Cindi committed to fighting back, quitting alcohol and sugar, focusing on a clean diet, daily exercise, and brain games. She also embraced meditation to help calm the mental chaos Alzheimer’s can bring.

Cindi has also been on monthly infusions of the drug Lecanemab for nearly three years and says it's helped reduce the “fuzzy” buildup on brain cells.

Her advice to others: don’t isolate, seek treatment, and stay engaged with life.

“Don't be afraid,” she said. “There are ways to help.”