Henley family’s near decade of dealing with disease
A family photo of the Henleys: Mike, standing, Karen and Courtney, left, and Brandon.
July 1985 - Karen and Mike Henley begin dating.
December 1985 - Mike’s mother is admitted to the hospital and a brain biopsy is done. She is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
October 1988 - Karen and Mike get married.
September 1991 - Courtney is born.
August 1992 - Mike’s mother passes away at the age of 51.
May 1993 - Brandon is born.
August 2000 - Mike, Karen and the kids travel to Pennsylvania and Mike forgets where Courtney is. Karen call this the moment that “my life changed forever.”
September 2000 - Mike begins seeing a neurologist and undergoing tests, all of which appear normal.
December 2000 - Mike is fired from his job of 13 years due to poor performance.
January 2001 - Karen takes Mike to a psychiatrist, thinking he might suffer from depression.
February 2001 - Mike finds another job. He is fired a month later.
April 2001 - Mike goes for further neurological testing and is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Fall 2003 - Mike begins showing anger and agitation.
May 2004 - Mike punches a hole in the kitchen wall after getting angry at Karen’s mother and is admitted into a psychiatric facility. Mike spends the entire summer at the facility as his medications are adjusted. When he gets out, he has lost many of his functions and Karen begins using a home health aide.
Spring 2005 - Mike is rushed to the hospital with multiple pulmonary embolisms. Short after he has his first grand mal seizure.
December 2006 - Mike is rushed to the hospital on Christmas morning for a collapsed lung and blood clots. He has surgery for the collapsed lung but when his condition does not improve, he is given last rites.
Spring 2008 - Mike has multiple seizures and is rushed to the hospital where he has his medication adjusted. He will have several more hospitalizations in the following months for unexplained fevers and blood clots.
September 2008 - Karen enrolls Mike into home hospice care.
December 2008 - Mike is hospitalized for congestion and fever.
June 2009 - Courtney graduates from high school.
August 2009 - Mike is hospitalized for a urinary tract infection. Courtney begins college.
