1. < Caregivers: Dementia

Cataracts and Dementia

Posted by Teri @tsc, Sep 11, 2023

My husband has moderate Alzheimer's Disease. He's still highly functioning. A few weeks ago, I told him I scheduled an appointment with the optometrist. He said good because his right eye was bothering him. He never mentioned this before.
Turns out, he can't see anything out of his right eye, due to the progression of a cataract. The optometrist recommended corrective surgery. There is a 4 - 6 month wait.
I ran this by a doctor friend who told me the surgery is very safe. He also sent me articles about dementia and treatment of cataracts. Cataract surgery is not performed on patients with Alzheimer's or Dementia relative to the rest of the similarly aged population, yet it greatly benefits cognition and can help with preventing falls.
I'm posting this for anyone who may be in a similar situation with the person they care for, whether now or in the future.
My husband is looking forward to the surgery.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Caregivers: Dementia Support Group.

Teri | @tsc | Dec 29, 2023
In reply to @scottrl "That is wonderful news! It doesn't surprise me that he's feeling more outgoing and is much..." + (show)
@scottrl

That is wonderful news!

It doesn't surprise me that he's feeling more outgoing and is much happier now that his vision is improved.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful update!

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Hi @scottrl, it's not often that we get good news after receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease or dementia, but it's heartening to know that some steps can be taken to improve the quality of our loved ones' lives.
Thank you for your post, and best wishes for the new year!

REPLY
DanL | @tunared | Jan 1 9:23am

My wife has the same problem and we have seen 2 MDs about it. We didn’t get a good feeling about one, can’t explain what the feeling was other than both our guts said back away from the 1 MD. She’s going for surgery with the 2nd one. Sight is one of our most important senses ( she has lost taste & smell) and we can’t take a chance losing it.

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1 reply
Teri | @tsc | Jan 1 2:58pm
In reply to @tunared "My wife has the same problem and we have seen 2 MDs about it. We didn’t..." + (show)
@tunared

My wife has the same problem and we have seen 2 MDs about it. We didn’t get a good feeling about one, can’t explain what the feeling was other than both our guts said back away from the 1 MD. She’s going for surgery with the 2nd one. Sight is one of our most important senses ( she has lost taste & smell) and we can’t take a chance losing it.

Jump to this post

Hi @tunared, we live in a small town and I know close to 10 people who used the same surgeon. All but one was happy with him. Probably wise to back away from a doctor you and your wife don't have a good feeling about. Will she be having surgery soon?

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1 reply
DanL | @tunared | Jan 1 6:10pm
In reply to @tsc "Hi @tunared, we live in a small town and I know close to 10 people who..." + (show)
@tsc

Hi @tunared, we live in a small town and I know close to 10 people who used the same surgeon. All but one was happy with him. Probably wise to back away from a doctor you and your wife don't have a good feeling about. Will she be having surgery soon?

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Teri, my wife is scheduled for February 1. We both feel better about this MD , then the previous MD

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1 reply
janet7 | @janet7 | Jan 2 10:17am

Hi, this is Janet L again!

My husband Will is having an Ablation near his heart on January 10.
He has Afib making him tired and weak and meds are not helping. He has been unable to go for walks and gets out of breath if he tries. We are getting the Advanced Directives from our lawyer as needed by the hospital. We both hope this procedure will help him feel better, although he is 81 and has Dementia and heart failure. His feeling unable to do normal activities has caused him to be depressed and we certainly don’t need that!
Praying he will feel better soon.

REPLY
2 replies
Teri | @tsc | Jan 2 1:10pm
In reply to @tunared "Teri, my wife is scheduled for February 1. We both feel better about this MD ,..." + (show)
@tunared

Teri, my wife is scheduled for February 1. We both feel better about this MD , then the previous MD

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That's great news, @tunared. I wish you both the best.

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Teri | @tsc | Jan 2 1:18pm
In reply to @janet7 "Hi, this is Janet L again! My husband Will is having an Ablation near his heart..." + (show)
@janet7

Hi, this is Janet L again!

My husband Will is having an Ablation near his heart on January 10.
He has Afib making him tired and weak and meds are not helping. He has been unable to go for walks and gets out of breath if he tries. We are getting the Advanced Directives from our lawyer as needed by the hospital. We both hope this procedure will help him feel better, although he is 81 and has Dementia and heart failure. His feeling unable to do normal activities has caused him to be depressed and we certainly don’t need that!
Praying he will feel better soon.

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HI @janet7, I hope evrything goes well and that the procedure gives your husband some relief.

REPLY
1 reply
janet7 | @janet7 | Jan 2 7:53pm
In reply to @tsc "HI @janet7, I hope evrything goes well and that the procedure gives your husband some relief." + (show)
@tsc

HI @janet7, I hope evrything goes well and that the procedure gives your husband some relief.

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How thoughtful, thank you.

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janet7 | @janet7 | Jan 3 9:15pm
In reply to @janet7 "Hi, this is Janet L again! My husband Will is having an Ablation near his heart..." + (show)
@janet7

Hi, this is Janet L again!

My husband Will is having an Ablation near his heart on January 10.
He has Afib making him tired and weak and meds are not helping. He has been unable to go for walks and gets out of breath if he tries. We are getting the Advanced Directives from our lawyer as needed by the hospital. We both hope this procedure will help him feel better, although he is 81 and has Dementia and heart failure. His feeling unable to do normal activities has caused him to be depressed and we certainly don’t need that!
Praying he will feel better soon.

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Will hasn’t had a good day. He is very weak and out of breath, and we may have to go to the ER. I am getting frightened about him feeling so bad. We are still waiting for the Ablation next Wednesday. In the meantime, I can take him to the ER because that is what doctors tell me to do if he feels worse. If he refuses to go to the ER, I will have to call 911.

REPLY
2 replies
Teri | @tsc | Jan 3 10:19pm
In reply to @janet7 "Will hasn’t had a good day. He is very weak and out of breath, and we..." + (show)
@janet7

Will hasn’t had a good day. He is very weak and out of breath, and we may have to go to the ER. I am getting frightened about him feeling so bad. We are still waiting for the Ablation next Wednesday. In the meantime, I can take him to the ER because that is what doctors tell me to do if he feels worse. If he refuses to go to the ER, I will have to call 911.

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Hi @janet7, I hope it goes well, and that he gets to the ER. Hopefully, he will make it a little easier for you and agree to go. And if not, you know what you have to do.

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2 replies
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