Earliest signs of decline?

@kjc48 The brand Bill suggested was Tena's

Thank you. @gratia .... it appears Tena's was the name of the brand for undergarments that was in Bill's post a while back on what he used. (in the event you have to change out Mom's again). And I remember reading he bulk purchased them. Lucky us, another Mayo connect person chimed in and remembered! Best, Karla

@kjc48 Thank you Karla🌹! I’ve tried Tena brand. They were very soft, but they ran very, very small! It was strange.
At this point, Depends are the best- if I can order on sale. “Always” brand, although soft material, is scented and that stinks! lol

I hope you have a good day today. I’m glad you enjoy the Rose & bee photo! That makes me feel good to know it brings you happiness 🌹

I've tried Because by mail order.....seems ok

@gratia The Rose and Bee Photo - Perfection! Thank you.
Karla

Yes to early signs that make you wonder. Hesitation when she was trying to tell you something, not able to complete a thought or story. From drawers organized with precision to just throwing everything in there balled up. Asking me to manage her finances when she moved near me. In the beginning docs who weren’t sure if it was anxiety causing her memory problems or her memory problems causing anxiety. Probably many more that I’m not thinking of immediately.

Yes, for sure - "heroic things" for me is simply staying balanced within myself and with God's Grace no matter what comes out of his mouth. After 53 years of so much disappointment and dysfunction already in this struggling relationship (especially on my side - his idea of "love" is more like: "I need you to validate ME" - it always has been all about him, his needs, his getting attention, etc.). When one of our counselors a long time ago asked me, "so this is all about him, what do YOU need?" - I fell apart b/c no one in my whole life including him has ever asked me that. With two beautiful daughters and their wonderful husbands and 7 grown grandkids plus my commitment to not break up a family like my grandmother and mother did - I've stuck it out & now that he really does need me to manage everything, I'll be here literally till death do us part.
His cognitive decline has made him a bit more easy to live with b/c he isn't holding onto grudges for weeks like he use to and has slipped into being even like a child at times. So I am thankful for each day I don't have to do some of the horrendous things the rest of you do. For now, it's about censoring what I talk to him about, taking care of the business of home & car ownership, keeping guard over our finances like a hawk, taking care of my own health(!!), getting use to my married yet single life style and hanging on to the good Lord like gorilla glue!!

@my husband is the same way...he is only capable of loving himself...he stares into the mirror all the time. He HAS to be the center of attention....to the point where at times I exclude him from friends visits because it's so embarrassing. I believe he has narcissistic personality disorder in addition to dementia.

My husband is at the early stage of diagnosis. He is 83. We see a neurologist in about 2.5 weeks. His PCP thinks he has AD or vascular dementia or both. His Ptau217 is high.
When I looked back, there were maybe small signs that he noticed and mentioned but I just thought they were general forgetfulness at 83.
His behaviors now had become more noticeable. He managed our portfolio for over 10 years and he chose to hand that over to our financial planner. I’m so glad he did this although I was very surprised. He always managed his numerous medications but made a serious mistake with them. I now handle that.
He had made errors with our sprinkler system thinking he had turned it on but had turned it off. There are numerous other things like this and he realizes his errors. His gait is seriously off and he scuffs his feet. We start intense balance therapy on Monday. He is at serious risk of falling.
Our issues compared to many on this platform are minor yet I know this will progress.
All of this has come to fruition in the last 5 weeks. I am truly still just processing it. I am grieving our future. I am 15 years younger than he is, which is a blessing as I can assist him more. It’s a lot to take in and I am sure all of the caregivers feel the same. Thanks for listening.

@gratia Has your mother gotten any better? Or is she still exhibiting early signs of dementia?