Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor spoke publicly for the first time today about the difficulty of her husband's Alzheimer's and how it forced her to retire from the Supreme Court. Her statements were given at a hearing at the Senate Committee on Aging.

In her prepared remarks, O'Connor leaves behind much of the formality she exuded as a justice and shares the personal anguish that one of the nation's most powerful women felt as she watched her spouse fade away.

From her testimony: "I submit to you that until you have actually stared Alzheimer's in the face . . . you cannot truly understand the deep sense of frustration, fear, helplessness and grief that accompany it."

Her testimony highlights some of the challenges that face families as they struggle with both aging and disability issues. "Many caregivers make similarly difficult decisions each and every day," O'Connor says in the prepared testimony. "Sadly, these life-changing decisions are simply part of caring for someone with Alzheimer's."