Opinion

I was a doctor caring for Alzheimer’s patients. At 57, I became one. Here’s what’s next

Before my diagnosis, I was a busy, high-performing physician and a present husband and father

By Dr. Brent Beasley Fox News

Published March 14, 2026 8:00am EDT

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As an internal medicine doctor, I used to care for Alzheimer’s patients. Now, at just 60 years old, I am one. My diagnosis is not the future most people hope for — but there is finally a generation of Alzheimer’s treatments that work for many patients, and I am one of them.

Before my diagnosis, I was a busy, high-performing physician and a present husband and father. Over my career, I completed an internal medicine fellowship at Johns Hopkins, oversaw a medical practice and ran an academic clinic where I taught residents and medical students. I coached my kids’ basketball teams and served as a deacon at my church.

I was someone who helped others, not someone who needed help myself. Then, three years ago, everything changed.

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One afternoon, my supervisor called me into her office and fired me for fumbling tasks I used to handle with ease, asking emphatically, "What is wrong with you?!" Suddenly, I was out of a job, had no health insurance, and still needed answers. What was wrong with me?

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My family noticed my cognitive decline, too. I couldn't keep up during a game night, put dishes back in the wrong place, lost track of my phone and repeated questions my wife had already answered.

I was only 57 — younger than most people........

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