How quickly do symptoms get worse - is there a specific time table or does it depend on the individual - right now it is just memory, speech and word finding - It has remained about the same for the past year
There is a motto that all doctors who deal with Alzheimer's Disease use - "If you've seen ONE Alzheimer's patient, you've seen ONE Alzheimer's patient." Meaning that, although the disease has many similarities, and the end result is the same, it affects everyone differently, and everyone reacts differently to it. Some people remain in one stage for years and years, others progress quickly. Generally, the younger the onset, the more quickly it progresses, but even that is not always true.
Katie, read the thread <<Question about stages>> which is about this very topic and will give you lots of relevant info. I'll bring it to the top for you.
There are several threads about the stages and how long they last. (Click search, fill in "stages") and leave "Topic" selected.)
We are still on vacation at Grayton Beach Florida this week. My wife's motor skills is really getting worse. She can not walk in the sand with out my help nor can she go out into the water alone. She needs to hold on to me to keep her from falling when the small waves hit her. This is a balance issue and her reaction times are so slow that she can not respond fast enough to keep her balance.
She started crying on the beach as she knows that she has lost another freedom. What I thought would be a relaxing vacation on the beach has turned into a mess.
Oh, I'm so sorry things aren't going well for your vacation. My DH's motor skills are declining also, so I understand what you mean. I do hope the rest of the week will be better for all of you and you can relaz and enjoy yourself.
Sorry moorsb. You never know, do you? We moved daughters #2 and 3 back into college last weekend. We tried to give Jeff certain selected things to carry (up to a third floor dorm room) like a duffel bag full of clothes, or a rolled up carpet. Daughter #3 carried the mini-fridge herself because, as predicted, he stumbled on the stairs and dumped a thing or two. The trick is to keep him feeling as useful to the process as you can, without setting up a disaster. There's a definite drop in capabilities from the same job, last year.
moorsb - we too tried the "beach" - something DH absolutely LOVED all the years of our life, but on the last trip (2 years ago) he was unable to 'enjoy' like he used to. Very sad, indeed. Try to keep positive...know it is hard for you as well. Emily - went thru the same thing almost 4 years ago with DH...unable to do/help really at all. At the end of that college year (May 2006), we traveled from Waco back to Arlington -- daughter in front in her car, DH driving the U-Haul (if you can believe that!), and me in the back...we figured if we hemmed him in, there would be no way things could go wrong...until he went WEST instead of EAST on I-20 just a few miles from our home...I chased him down, but he had already realized his mistake & was turning around...I have never prayed so hard in my whole life. We did get "back safely" and everytime I see a U-Haul I bring that up to him...sometimes he smiles...sometimes not...Ditto for me. Just 3 years later, he can no longer dress himself, use the bathroom, and now even eating is requiring help most of the time...Just like time, the disease marches on. :(
I saw progression in my dh when we went on vacation in July. Just 3 years before he was able to walk the beach with me. Now he couldn't. We sat in some lawn chairs overlooking the beach by the parking area. Then I walked the beach with my dog, the exact same route dh had walked with me 3 years ago. It was sad. I wonder what another 3 years would reveal?
Katie, we all wish we knew the timetable! It would be nice to know when to expect certain things, when we would need adult day care, when to call hospice, and how long each stage would be. All of us also want them to be able to go peacefully in their sleep before they are bedridden and suffer pain. Some have been fortunate, but others have not. Some are bedridden for years. One case of AD is one case of AD is very true, yet most of us go through the same things, on different timelines....some are fortunate enough to miss the rages. I wish we could be more definitive!
I told my husband it would be better if he didn't come with me to take our son to start college last week. DH is early stages of LBD, mostly just slow, occasionally confused. But I just couldn't manage worrying about both of them at once. It felt lonely--taking a kid to start college seems to have become a family ritual and I felt like the only parent alone.
DH traveled alone this past summer and I suggested to him that he go see our son in a month, but now he doesn't feel comfortable doing so. We are in South Carolina and our son is in college at St. Johns College in Annapolis MD, so it isn't close. I'm exhausted by taking both kids back to school last week.
Emily and pamsc----I moved my youngest into college @ 10 days ago. Fortunately, my recent college grad helped us, which made it a little less lonely, but yes, I did feel like everyone else had their husband there to help except me. Four years ago I made the (longer) trip via car with my oldest, but my husband and youngest flew up for 2 days to help, and he had not even been diagnosed yet! We knew something was wrong due to his behavior changes, but hadn't even started the testing process. Now four years later, my husband has progressed, or should we say digressed, so quickly that he doesn't even know his youngest has graduated from high school and gone to college. He goes into her room daily and says "Well I guess she's out doing something" and asks me when she'll be home. He couldn't attend either graduation due to his behavior in crowds, and we're not sure that would have made him realize what was happening anyway. SO sad, but in our case, I think a relatively fast progression with respect to memory and comprehension. On the other hand, he still does all his "ADLs" fairly well, but needs constant supervision due to his behavior and total lack of judgement.
Mine does that too. The day after we moved the girls into dorms (with him being there and carrying stuff,) he says, "Where are the girls? Out I guess."
moorsb - did you read Bill's blog of when he recently took Carol to the beach? You should - it might give you some ideas on how to let her enjoy what you think is not possible. I would consider a life jacket when going into the water though.