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Introductions: Are you caring for someone with dementia?
My mother-in-law (MIL) had what was finally determined to be frontal temporal dementia. She had the disease from her 60s until she passed away at 86. My wife was especially involved in her mom's caregiving due to some serious denial in other family members and a GP who refused to diagnose, even when significant deficits were obvious (mistaking the UPS deliveryman for her husband and not knowing the difference between roads and sidewalks). The most unfortunate result of this, to me, was the lost time when my MIL and her family could have been having meaningful and important discussions about significant matters of importance to her and them.
In my wife's years of fighting her brain cancer, she, too, exhibited many of the aspects of mental degradation and physical losses one would affiliate with a dementia patient.
As an aside, for several years I worked for the national Alzheimer's Association raising money for their research programs nationwide.
I wish everyone struggling with this disease and their caregivers and families strength and peace.
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No it’s a hard to have a loss of intimacy especially when in the first 25 years she never said no, and when the loving turns to abuse
My wife is now at the point she can not remember small details. Such as recognizing a flashlight, or a blanket. I am now doing most of the cooking and housecleaning. Every time something is moved, she swears it has been stolen by one of the offspring who came to visit. She is nearly blind, and mistakes a garage for a motor home. It is hard. We are both 83, and I have many cancers and other issues. oldkarl
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5 ReactionsMy husband hasn’t been diagnosed with anything yet, but I can relate to others not seeing his memory issues. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they don’t. I know they don’t think we are lying, but it is frustrating that they don’t get it. Are there prescriptions that help slow the progression of dementia?
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1 ReactionAricept 5mg helped my husband for a year and was slowing benefits but after an increase to 10mg there was another significant improvement
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2 ReactionsThanks @boppie! Did Mayo diagnose your husband? How did they determine his diagnosis?
No, we live in New Orleans. He was diagnosed by his Neurologist at LCMC here in conjunction with panel of psychology testing from a neuropsychologist and a series of MRI and CT scans to rule out stroke.
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2 ReactionsI also find supplements of Youthful Brain and Balance of Nature help him tremendously for better appetite, desire to analyze things he can’t understand. Look these supplements up as they contain many nutrients and vitamins.
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1 ReactionThank you!
There are medications that can help. They are usually not prescribed until after a diagnosis as different medications work for different types of dementia. And some medications can be prescribed in some cases. My husband - who had LBD - is on a medication that has a “black box warning”. However, based on his overall condition & degree of dementia he is prescribed a moderate dose.
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2 ReactionsThanks!
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