Deputy Conservative leader Lisa Raitt and her husband Bruce Wood appeared on CTV鈥檚 Power Play Tuesday to talk about how their lives have changed since Wood was diagnosed with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease two years ago.
鈥淚t hits you out of the blue,鈥� Raitt, an Ontario MP, told Power Play host Don Martin. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 expect the diagnosis.鈥�
Wood was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer鈥檚 in May, 2016 at the age of 56. It started with misplacing everyday objects, he said.
鈥淚t was noticed at work that Bruce wasn鈥檛 as vocal in board meetings,鈥� Raitt added. 鈥淭he way it was explained to us is, he鈥檚 missing verbs and nouns but he can talk around the topics.鈥�
Wood, who formerly served as president and CEO of the Hamilton Port Authority, is no longer working. But that, Raitt explained, has been something of a silver lining since the diagnosis.
鈥淲e actually have Bruce home more,鈥� Raitt, who has two children from a previous marriage, said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a lot more present in our lives... And when we鈥檙e together on weekends, we鈥檙e really together on weekends.鈥�
Contrary to expectations, the diagnosis was not earth-shattering, Wood said.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 take it that way,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚t was one of these things: OK, here it is, let me at it and we鈥檒l figure it out.鈥�
Wood also thinks that he has many more years of independence left.
鈥淚 would say it鈥檚 going to take a long time,鈥� he said of the disease鈥檚 progression. 鈥淭he way I look at it鈥� (I鈥檓) still driving, doing all these things that I want to do.鈥�
Wood urged anyone who thinks they may have Alzheimer鈥檚 to go and see their doctor.
鈥淭here are probably thousands of people out there that have the same disease and they don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said. 鈥淕et your doctor and go see them -- you have to do that.鈥�
Raitt also thanked Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer for giving her time to focus on her family life.
鈥淭his leader has been really supportive to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to Andrew.鈥�
