Is it MCI or Dementia?

in reply @tay1 There is a very good article in last week's Epoch Times which discusses the fact that many are diagnosed with dementia, when in fact, there is something else going on. I would encourage you to find the article online and read it, and perhaps you will find some of the content useful.
best of luck

in reply @tay1 There is a very good article in last week's Epoch Times which discusses the fact that many are diagnosed with dementia, when in fact, there is something else going on. I would encourage you to find the article online and read it, and perhaps you will find some of the content useful.
best of luck

That is a very good point. I always think he must hate me when I get irritated at him because he can’t remember or when I explain something to him that seems so simple to me and he doesn’t get it. I will say, “Do you understand what I said?” and he will say “No, but forget it.” If I press further, he gets upset. I need to learn to just leave it alone and not care if he “doesn’t get it”. That is so frustrating to me because I always want to understand what someone tells me and I feel like that is important to everyone - to understand. Even when I try to re-word or make it simple, he has a difficult time understanding. When that happens, I need to remind myself to stop with the explanations!

Hi, @tay1 Your post reminded me of something my wife’s neuro-oncologist told my family and me early on in her journey. He said we needed to always remember: “when the brain is broken, logic rarely works”. Remembering this over the years helped me let a lot of my wife’s questioning roll off my back often with just a ‘sure, honey’ or simply an ‘OK’.

It also helped me realize I needed to pick only battles that truly mattered.

Strength, Courage, & Peace

Thank you! I joined the group because I need encouragement and reminders from members like you who have been through it - and it sounds like you were able to gain the ability to “let it go”! I need to remember this and I thank you for your kind words and advice. I cry inside daily because this is a very real loss of the man I love. I’m so sorry for your loss.

That is a very good point. I always think he must hate me when I get irritated at him because he can’t remember or when I explain something to him that seems so simple to me and he doesn’t get it. I will say, “Do you understand what I said?” and he will say “No, but forget it.” If I press further, he gets upset. I need to learn to just leave it alone and not care if he “doesn’t get it”. That is so frustrating to me because I always want to understand what someone tells me and I feel like that is important to everyone - to understand. Even when I try to re-word or make it simple, he has a difficult time understanding. When that happens, I need to remind myself to stop with the explanations!

First of all, hang in there and hang in here. Most of us can relate. I also get the mistrust of the medical system and I even have a hard time with the Alzheimers association. Right now I am feeling like they are looking for a new magical drug when there are over 120 different types of dementia and within each are many different sub illnesses. Regarding supplements, we are on many but all have been recommended by a professional either neuropsychologist or physician-not my husband's geriatrician or PCP-neither is up on any of the research on the supplements. Even so, we did have evaluations by a geriatrician who specializes in dementia and have had sleep studies, blood work and neurospsych evaluations. My husband has MCI-not sure of causation but could be mercury - he worked with it for years as a dentist. Also vascular-he has Raynaud's syndrome -cold hands and feet and the brain MRI (which is very important) showed normal aging 6 years ago and a year ago showed some ischemia in the brain.
All that from within the medical system.
I also want to add that my husband's PCP is a best friend and we are going to change to a new concierge physician within the year as I feel his friend is too close to the situation and gets too sad about it and can go into denial.

This is hard but I am savoring every moment and forgiving myself when I blow it at communication. I have said he doesn't remember when I am at my worst. Thank you for sharing.

I know what you mean about good and bad days, and very competent in many areas and just lost in others.
Someone else in this blog said something I will take to heart, that even though we get frustrated and lose our tempers, our husbands will not remember, so that's a relief because we are only human and doing our best with this crappy situation.

I also understand. This week feels almost normal. Some confusion and memory loss but not terrible. Mood is stable. He is working on a jigsaw puzzle. This is a new activity that seems to hold his attention for long parts of the day and challenges thinking skills. I've set up a card table in a corner and he turns to the puzzle throughout the day. This one is hard for him but he is sticking to it. Last week was not good but I also wasn't good with my repsonses. The crankier I got the worse his "experiences" were. I am trying much harder this week to letting it go...if it isn't important or dangerous...let it go.