In a post on another topic, somebody mentioned feeling like there was something going on for a very long time before her husband was diagnosed. I did not know that other people had also had this experience. Decades before my husband was diagnosed he would do strange things, like stopping at an intersection and looking both ways—when there was no stop sign there. Or going out to get the mail and coming in and leaving the front door wide open—and going out the back door to go to work, with the front door still open. It got worse as time went on. But in other things he was fine. He took computer programming classes and got an A in each one. He started work on a master’s degree, and did fine with that. But if you would send him to the grocery store with a list of 10 items, he would almost always come home with only 8 or 9 items, and say that he just didn’t see the missing things on the list. He couldn’t organize anything, and got very frustrated if he even tried. Probably 20 years before diagnosis he started telling me that something was wrong with his brain, that he couldn’t think like he used to.
Can this start that long before diagnosis? For years I just thought he was easily distracted, or absent-minded, or just being contrary. But as things got worse and worse, I came to believe that there was something wrong with his brain, too. Unfortunately, even after it became very obvious that something was seriously wrong, it took all his doctors (and he saw a lot of doctors) several years to come up with a diagnosis—years when they were prescribing antidepressants instead of the Alzheimer’s drugs he needed to be taking. I’m left wondering now what difference it would have made if he could have started Alzheimer’s drugs some years earlier.
I know that a lot of spouses have told me that they saw changes long before diagnosis. But decades before? Is that possible? He was finally diagnosed at age 54, so all these other changes started really young.
I suspected that he had AD for over a year before he was diagnosed, but couldn't convince his doctor. He passed the doctor's test with flying colors, and I came out looking like a dope for bringing it up!
A loss of perception while driving was my first clue. The second clue was his sleeping positions in bed and his developing restless leg syndrome (which the doctor also tested and believed that one). He would doze at the oddest times - for a minute or two (or five) - even with a fork in his hand! He became slow to answer peoples' questions, and I began answering for him if he took too long, and he was glad I did. I honestly didn't think anything of it at the time. After 45 years we could always finish each other's sentences.
It is very difficult to know when something seemed not quite right. The signs are so subtle, and can be attributed to so many other things, usually job stress, that it is almost impossible to know when it started.
Your husband's early symptoms sound like my husband's, and Sid's were due to Attention Deficit Disorder. Sid had ADD as a child, but in those days, it was not recognized or diagnosed. He was just called "stupid" and "lazy", because he could not focus or pay attention. It wasn't until I started working with ADD kids, and heard story after story of a child who was diagnosed, and a parent who then said - "That describes me as a child.", did I start to suspect he had ADD. NO project, and I mean NO project, he ever started in our house, was EVER completed. He could never concentrate long enough to read a book; he could never concentrate on a conversation we were having for more than 10 minutes; his desk at work was so disorganized, he was continually written up for it. He was a workaholic, who was very successful at his job (retail management), but it was because he threw his entire focus into the job and nothing else.
When he started forgetting names of people he worked with, we attributed it to job stress. When he started forgetting our conversations, I attributed it to the ADD, and would get very angry, because he was aware of the ADD at that time, and knew he needed to focus when someone was talking to him. The more he forgot, the more angry I became, because I thought he wasn't making any effort to pay attention.
The whole thing was a mess, and the first neurologist went with ADD, and put him on Adderall, which fueled his rages and irrationality. Even though his neuropsych testing showed severe memory loss, no dementia was diagnosed.
The second neurologist got it right, and as soon as he was put on Aricept, and then Namenda, he stabilized for well over a year.
So, to answer your question, yes, I think signs can start decades before, but sometimes they are confused with another condition.
Jan--yes, I think decades is possible. It is somewhat well established--as well as ANYTHING is established with AD--that the brain HAS started to change long before the symptoms become severe enough that most people begin to try to find out what's wrong. And I have heard that the changes probably do begin decades before the really limiting symptoms. For example, if there were environmental factors contributing to a person later developing AD, it is considered likely that those insults occurred long, long before the diagnosable disease.
I believe that if there's anything at all to things like the Nun Study, and other evidence that educated people are less susceptible... (and we all know that well-educated, intelligent people DO get AD, and frequently...) then what might be happening is that WITHOUT the educated, flexible brain, perhaps the symptoms would have appeared earlier, because the benefit of multiple well-developed neuronal pathways is that the brain can find a way to bypass the tangled spots...for a while, until those pathways get damaged too. Perhaps intelligence buys you a little time, is all. But if that card's in your deck there's not a crossword puzzle on the rack that's going to save you.
My husband is also what anyone would have called a bit of a scatterbrain. Not very organized, very relaxed about the clock, rather "out to lunch." I once likened him to Robin Williams' character in "Flubber"...smart, but don't expect him to get there on time or remember everything. So there was a real fuzzy phase where I'm not sure whether I could distinguish his absent-mindedness from the onset of dementia. But it became VERY obvious about 4 years ago.
Something I read recently suggested that people with this life-long absent-mindedness may be showing a type of brain that--more than others--has the makings of future AD, and that in some cases AD brains may be of a type where the problem could be possibly traceable back to a very young age.
On the other side of the life-long absent-mindedness AND disorganization being the type of brain that has the markings of future AD - I also read that very organized people are less likely to develop AD.
I once remarked on these boards that I wondered if the ADD brain was more susceptible to AD, and over time, the ADD symptoms deteriorated into AD symptoms. Our neurologist discounted that theory, but I wonder.........
My husband was an intelligent, well-educated. and very well organized individual. I noticed a few times he responded to situations approximately 10 yrs. before Alzheimer symptoms that were so out of character that I now believe could have been physical brain reactions. One thing we always found amusing was his memory was not as precise as mine and the childrens. He relied on us to remember where he placed objects. Although, parodoxically he was a pilot and a missile officer in the Air Force and both required good memory skills. Always though he was not mechanically inclined. The internet did not interest him at all . I had too operate the electronical devices in the home. I don't know what triggers AD but I do believe that the person can have AD caused episodes long before actual onset.
The newest Alz Assn TV ad finally says what I have been saying for years. AD is not exclusively a disease of old men who retire & let their brains get lazy. It can begin in the 30' or 40's. My nephew, a doc, says that the youngest AD patient he has had was 29! My DH was always a little quirky, people said things to me, but I dismissed it all as his personality, which I loved, his being a workaholic, distracted, stress, male hormones, whatever, but now I look back on certain incidents and realize he had AD for decades--decades--before the bizarre behaviors came roaring out.
Very few people on this board will say that their spouse was a couch potato. They are almost universally well educated, bright, talented, active mentally & physically, involved in many activities, etc. It seems that it is the most active, well educated among us who get AD. Except that I always did crossword puzzles, everything touted as a sign of getting AD was that I should get it, not my DH. Actors, whose stock in trade is their ability to memorize countless dialogues over a lifetime get it, so I can't believe the 'use it or lose it' theory. Nonetheless, I did not 'know' he had AD most of our life, it was the furthest thing from my mind until it slapped me in the face, but that it was 'always' there is something I am now certain of.
Please go to http://geocities.com/caregiving4alz and read 'You're in Good Company' and see how many exceptionally brilliant, successful, well educated people get AD. Hardly a couch potato among them. My own theory is that it is a recessive gene, no one in my DH's family had it. I'd vote for working on our DNA and, hopefully, finding a way to pull these defective genes out w/out causing more harm, but that's a long way off.
I noticed signs long before my DH was diagnosed. I was completing his sentences too. I think some people thought I was crazy and wondered why I was answering for him. I found myself writing him notes on things that he should have been able to remember. He began using a tablet to write things down to help him remember. I didn't put two and two together for at least a couple of years. When he started asking me the same question over and over again, I thought it was time to check with a doctor.
Oh how I agree with you all. Is early "bad" behaviour a symptom. Yes, I believe it is. Sure didn't even dream of AD. Even as a nurse I hadn't heard of the disease. Could we had done anything different? Could we have made a difference in the outcome? That is what is eating me up alive now that it is too late.
There was an earlier discussion on this topic, which of course I can't find now, drat it. It was probably over on the Alz Assoc web site.
Anyway, it was amazing. The longer we talked about it, the more we remembered behaviors that made us believe our loved ones had indeed been suffering from AD long before the diagnosis -- many, many years.
And carewife has done that to me again.
My husband and I worked together for many years. He has always been a neatness freak (Mr Obsessive-Compulsive) and didn't like to keep paperwork that wasn't absolutely essential. Me, I'm a packrat when it comes to the printed page, can't bear to throw anything away in case it will be useful in the future. I have dozens of filing cabinets, and piles of paper and journals everywhere. I am usually pretty darn good about finding anything I've saved, too.
So maybe ten years ago, when my husband started giving me copies of all important papers that came in to him, I just teased him, telling him that he knew I would be able to find whatever he needed and he wouldn't.
It just never occurred to me that that was exactly what he was doing, until carewife said her husband relied on her to remember where he put things.
And now, thinking about it ... there were other things going on that did not make sense until this discussion. One of them is that he used to be quite the financial whiz, managing $100 million in contracts at a time for a major corporation, and running their accounting/finance group.
After we met and started working together at a medium-sized company, it was clear that the other division VPs looked up to him when it came to contract management and finance. So when I started a very small business, and he came on board in charge of finance and admin, I figured it would be a piece of cake for him -- if anything, he'd be bored by the lack of challenge. At first, it seemed that way, but then we started having some problems. I just figured it was because financial issues can be very different in large and small companies.
One of the first really concrete AD symptoms he exhibited, in early 2003, was an inability to handle the checking account, pay bills on time, and keep the checkbook records. So perhaps those puzzling problems he had been having with the business finances were actually AD manifesting itself years earlier.
I feel bad that I did not know what was going on and let my DH go thru years of this trauma alone when I could have been consoling, sheltering, understanding, more loving, but I did not know, and he never confided One thing I have learned, and hope you all take to heart--no matter what we did, it would have all turned out the same. At this moment in time, there is nothing to cure or prevent it--wish there were, but sooner or later we'd all be at the spot we're in now. Don't blame yourselves, don't think about the might have beens. All we can do is the best we can do.
I honestly had no idea of anything being wrong, but I am a guy maybe not too bright in things like this.
She lost her job as an illustrator because she became belligerent in her work. One day 9 years ago, she showed me the letter: resign or be fired. It was hard on her. She was just 62.
Now she is mid stage and we have had a lot of good times since that ugly day.
i have looked back,after my dh was diagnosed with eoad, and i see signs that were there but i had no idea. he would leave the cabinet doors and drawers open,never throw a paper or food wrapper away,just lay it on the table or counter top it would just really irritate me. i thought he was doing it just to agravate me,and boy it did. i never said alot about it because it didn't want him to know just how it bugged me,i thought that was just what he was trying to do and i was not going to let on about it. he was such a smart man,and this literally breaks my heart to use the word "was" instead of "is". i have always been so very proud of him and his acomplishments. he worked for 20 years as a professtional firefighter. he was a sergent and then a captain and had the respect of everyone he worked with,whether they worked with him,for him,or where higher ranking officers. many tried to get him to go higher up in the department,but he said he didn't want the responsibility,and it was alot. he retired early because,with a hazardous duty job,you can retire in 20 yrs. he just wanted to work on the farm and he has always been a workaholic,the hardest working little man i ever saw. he has always had to stay busy.we never had vacations,we never took our kids anywhere special. he would never leave the farm or his dad. he and his dad have always farmed together,and he just would not go anywhere,because he was afraid something would happen to his dad,if he wasn't right there. i have always admired him for his dedication,but it sure took a chunk out of our lives and our childrens.he is as honest as the day is long and everyone always called him for advice or to work on something. i used to resent when friends,neighbors,and family called for him because,everyone else took so much of his time and there wasn't that much left for the kids and me. he practically dedicated his life to his dad,and now that he is sick and after his mother passed away,his dad just doesn't have much use for him. it's like he got all he could out of him,and now that he can't work like he used to,well,he's done with him. it hurts so bad,i can't even tell you how bad. his dad has accused him of stealing money from him and,i'm sorry,but i just can't get over that. dh can't dial the phone anymore,has trouble dressing sometimes,can't find his clothes,can't do simple math,uses the remote to the tv some,can't read much,his eyes have gotten bad,got new glasses,but he lost them,can't do most things on the farm anymore,no machanical work,which he used to be fantastic at. he could take anything apart and remember how to put it back together. he can still drive the tractor to feed the cattle,but it worries me. one thing i need to mention is of an intimate nature. i have never told anyone,but we just stopped being intimate. he was never like that and this was several years ago. i just could't figure out what was going on,oh the hugs,and pats and letting me know he loved me was still there,that has never stopped,but i began to wonder what in the world was going on. it just seemed to stop,just out of the blue. has anyone else had this to happen with their spouse? this is really hard for me to bring up. i have always been a very private person about this part of our life and never talked about it. oh i would tell and listen to jokes and cut up with friends,but never about our private live. i know this is long,and i have rambled on,and i don't blame any you if you don't read this. but i have no one to talk to and i really needed to get this out. my heart is so broken,i just had to tell someone. i am sorry for the long post.
Dear jav; Your words paint a vivid picture of your life with your husband. Your love for him comes throuugh and your great sadness. I am so sorry for what brings you here but you will find more understanding and support here then you can imagine.
I totally understand about your sense of privacy .But here anything can be discussed. There is no pre- judgement . Long before my husband was diagnosed with AD our itimacy stopped as well. He sought treatment .. low hormone levels.. hormone treatments for months. Treatment did not improve our love life. I think I can more clearly see that his withdrawl due to his Ad had already started even though he was not diagnosed for a few more years.
I know that this lack of intimacy is not the case for every one but at least please know that you are not alone. This disease is a cruel one....and it affects each person differently ... ....
Come here often and " talk" to us. Everyone here really does understand....
JAV-I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it. My DH also stopped being intimate about the time early symptoms were showing. I had just had cancer surgery and thought he was stressed. From that point on his behavior started to slowly change.
Talking about missing early signs--I was just in our storage room and there is a plastic box with little drawers. I don't think my husband has used it for 15 years. But I just noticed that each drawer had something completely useless in it. There were mayonnaise jar tops, disposable detergent measuring cups, etc. I guess I just thought he was eccentric.
But back to when I really knew--it was when I would ask him to get something for me and he would return with some other object instead. Also he was asking the same questions over and over.
We went on a bus trip to Virginia two years ago, and he kept asking the same questions over and over again about what was going to happen next. He seemed very disoriented.
Then the following year we went on a cruise. Not anywhere near as disoriented, but he never figured out that the dining room was down and the buffet was up.
I asked for some therapy because I didn't know what was wrong with him or how bad it was. He even managed to hid his situation from the threrapist for a while, but she was the one who pushed us to see the neurologist and he didn't even do most of the standard memory tests although he did spend over 1.5 hours with us. He had 6 months of her reports that he had already read. He ordered blood tests for things my husband had never been tested for before (like his thyroid) and ordered a CAT scan (no MRI because of my husband's pacemaker).
Now I look back and try to figure out when it all started. He died 3 or 4 times on the day they put in the pacemaker (which is why they put it in). Was that the beginning? Or were there already indications during the year or two before that? I truly do not know.
We have discussed sex and intimacy issues on the Message Boards and in Blogs. This is most probably the only site where you can feel comfortable discussing these issues and know that everyone will understand. At the top of this board, click "search" and type in "sexuality". Make sure the little circle in "topic" is filled in. That will take you to the discussion on sexuality. It is on page 5 of these boards.
Also, click on "Alzheimer Articles of Interest" on the left side of the website. There is a section in there with articles related to sex and marriage.
You say that your husband's father doesn't seem to care about him any more, and has accused him of stealing ... and your husband has EOAD, which has a strong genetic link. I wonder if his father is in the early stages of AD, as well. The accusations of stealing, that is an extremely common symptom. I know it would still hurt, but perhaps not as much, if you knew it was coming from AD and not from his "real" father...
I agree with Sunshyne about your husband's father. When I read your post about the father accusing him of stealing my immediate thought was "that's a symptom of AD". I'm not sure what you can do further, except to look for other signs, and mention it to his doctor.
i want to thank everyone for their kind words and concern. i could have never told anyone else about some of the things that i have written here. i always ache and hurt so bad,when thinking of dh's illness and also the situation with his dad. i don't know about his dad. i used to take him and my mother in law,whom i have always been close to and loved dearly[she passed away suddenly from copd in 2005],to their dr. appointments. i always went in with them to make sure we knew that the drs. knew everything and hear what they had to say. my mil always wanted me to go in with her so i could explain to her and others in the family what was going on and what the dr. said. i also went with my father in law. i have loved them and tried to take care of them like they were my own parents[ my father passed in 1995 and my mother has non hogkins lumphoma. she went through chemo and i think she is doing well]. i have always tried to do what was right. i no longer take my fil to the dr. that is up to other family members now,other sons and their wives,and a daughter,[everyone lives here about 3 miles apart]some of whom would not help before,they were always too busy or had something else to do,but i have always made time and i have no regrets, i am not bitter,and i know it sounds that way,i just wanted to explain the situation somewhat,but i do feel like i have been slapped in the face. i am terribly hurt by all of this,it breaks my heart to hear my husband talk about all of this.it is not good for him. i have always waited on my fil when he was in our home,which was daily,and i have always wanted my dh's family to feel welcome and comfortable in our home. my fil has been hurt in 2 accidents,and i have done everything i could,took him for appointments,stayed with him in rehab,night and day,and at his home,until i could get someone to relieve me.dh was not able to do these things,so i pitched in for both of us.my dh has always given his dad money,$100.00 for every day he worked over time at the fire dept,and there was a lot of overtime in 20 yrs time. we have built 3 homes over the course of our marriage,and sold 2 of them,and dh took moneyfrom the sale of these homes[not all of it,but alot] and paid farm bills for his dad and himself. his dad has always been very stingy with anything he had,but my mil kept him in line,now that she is gone,he does and says what he pleases. it is very hurtful and we try to stay away from him. dh sees him some,not much any more. he got to where he kept him so upset,i thought dh was going to kill himself,he wanted to die,he has just been devastated by all this and i know it has had an effect on the progression of this terrible disease. i love my husband and want to protect him from any hurt or pain and i feel so helpless. i just don't know what to do but pray for mercy and pray for us all to be better,stronger,christians and do the right thing. again, i am sorry for the long post. i just need to get this off my chest. i don't mean to sound like the perfect person,because i certainly am not, i have my faults and shortcommings like everybody else. i was just brought up to be honest,do what is right,and help others. charity,honesty,and love starts at home, and home is where the heart is, that is how i was taught. so much for my rambling for now. bless you all. we ask for your prayers.
This is a safe place to vent. Go right ahead and let us know what is going on. Everyone needs a safe place to vent because if you don't let it all out it can make you sick.
I don't think I'll ever know when Dh's VaD started. He has multiple Learning Disabilities. He was always a difficult child, probably because of the Learning disabilities and later because of undiagnosed Mental Illness. When he was hospitalized in 2006 to change psych meds, the Dr.s wanted to know for sure what exactly they were trying to treat, so they did the neuro-psych test and MRIs, etc. The mini-mentals had been used in diagnosing the Mental Illness in 1988. When the results of the neuro-psych test were available, before explaining them I was asked to tell the Dr. about Dh's "Stroke History". I asked, "What Stroke History?" There were 2 significant stroke scars in his brain. We met and married in 1974, and I knew of no occurrence since we met, and no family member had memory of any event, that might have been a Stroke." From having sat in when he did the mini-mentals, I know he didn't do very well. It's a mystery to me how they were able to get useable readings from him with the other conditions.
My DH retired from a very good job at age 53, he is now 71. He never looked for other employment. He had a pension, I was still working. Financially we were okay. Of course, we would have been for than okay if he worked another 10 years. He retired abruptly when his company was giving a "package" for early retirement. He never discussed it with me when he did did this. I was upset at the time because it was not in our plan. We had discussed our retiring when we reached 60. I think that was when he must have realized he was having problems at work. About 4 years later, I remember giving him ginkgo for his forgetfulness. He kept forgetting to take it. That was 1995. He referred himself to a neurologist by 1998. It was several years until the neurologist diagnosed him with MCI. The best thing we ever did was to enter studies at Duke University pertaining to memory. They tested him for several years and then told us he had converted from MCI to AD. That was in 2005. I believe now that DH probably has had problems for 20 years or more. He still covers well in public.
My DH was diagnosed in 12/2003 but looking back the symptoms were there much sooner. In about 1999 we mentioned his memory problems to his then PCP who said it was just a sign of aging and nothing to worry about. In the fall of 2000 he started having problems paying bills & balancing the checkbook. I took over all the finances that year. In 2000 to 2003 I had to keep track of his school bus route and made up the list of students. But even several years I noticed he was having trouble making simple decisions and when he started projects he had to have me read the instructions or talk himself through it step by step. Yes, I definitely agree the unrecognized sign were there years before the Dx.
WOW, everyone who has someone who may be wondering if a LO has a memory impairment should read this list of experiences. I wish there was a way to send this one topic as a link.
And yes, I do think symptoms do show up years before an actual dx can be made. I look back to my mom...she always did all the bookwork and banking for our family. And got all the tax work started for the CPA. Then in the 80s she started to get frustrated at the time it was taking..but as with all things tax related etc it is a stressful thing at best..my folks always went to FL after Christmas to get out of the midwest winters...and it was getting to her to have to do so much before departure...and I just figured yayoubetcha..put away decorations, pack , have all the tax stuff gathered etc and then go to FL....It would get on my nerves. I told her to have dad go ahead and then she could join him but she knew, better that I, that he couldn't boil water. Then they moved to TX..and it was then that she didn't drive and dad didn't want her to..it was not an easy area and coming from a small town it was difficult for me with all the odd corners and signs etc... I finally learned landmarks to get where I needed to be since I would miss the posts street signs which were not like ours everywhere else..so that was of no concern..she mentioned how amazed it was that I knew how to navigate the freeways..she never had to do that ever where they lived before. The big tip off was her insistant view that she won a million dollars ( PCH sweepstakes)...and after she died we found so many interest checks that never were deposited..some later honored it others did not..
AS to my Uncle..he could manage all the manly things...but he was forgetting words..at first it was thought he had a stroke. But the condition got worse and the nurologists at UCLA said it was AD and the brain autopsy confirmed it.
And my DH..well this is where it gets interesting for me on the day to day basis. In 2005 he had 3xbypass surgery and at the 3 month mark complications. At that point he started to have some memory misses but nothing that stopped him from going golfing or fishing etc...and we were told this is normal and would correct in time..( don't believe that one). I had cleaned the garage as far as I could and wanted him to deal with his tool bench..he always kept is somewhat orderly..not now..and he never did deal with it. I complained and a friend said just don't do it and he will eventually..never did and to this day it is a mess.. Then in 2007 he had a small tia and we were again told it would self correct( don't believe that one either). IT was last summer after I got back from Iceland that I saw him going after the paper to see the day and date..thought it was visiton..nope..CPap machine..yes. needed adjustment but made no difference.. Other things even before that...he would be inattentive..and I would find myself saying " pay attention" This disease is so subtle that we miss alot of symptoms at very early stages..
The tip the neurologist gave me about the heart surgery and tia..memory slips do not self correct but maybe remain stable..but if a person is predisposed to a memory impairment, that and repeated risks from anesthesia may be enough to push the patient over the threshold to dementia....
Hello, I have been out of town for a while and just returned. I hpoe everybody is doing well.
I am not sure how long Kathryn had AD before she was diagnosed with it. When she was diagnosed she was already showing stage 5. The doctor says she more than likely had it before we were even married (we were only married for 87 years when she was diagnosed). She has 3 college degrees and was a working magistrate and was good at compensating which hide the symptoms. That and the fact that I didn't know you could get AD at so young an age.
I would still be going along fat, dumb and happy if a couple of things hadn't told me something was wrong. She couldn’t tell me the time one day and one day when I got home she was watching the weather channel and when I asked her if she was enjoying it she said no but this thing is broken and she couldn't change the channel, the thing being the remote. So I did a little test of my own. I put the TV on the weather channel on before leaving for work one day and the remote in her chair and went to work. When I got back she was watching the weather channel and when asked it was for the same reason. I asked her the time later and again she wasn't able to tell me the time.
I made us both appointments to get a physical and asked to see the doctor first. I told him what was happening and he gave her a MME and a referral to see Doctor Doty who is now her neurologist who referred her to get more testing and started her on all her meds right away.
Claude was electrocuted on the job in 1991. The jolt damaged his heart and he had his mitral valve replaced. He had been in excellent health before this seldom even taking an aspirin.
Looking back now, he started developing symptoms that we just attributed to the aging process or didn't notice as we were so close to him. My sister and brother-in-law visited from out of state in 1998 and again in 2001. They mentioned they could really see changes in that three year period.
In 9/1999 he had a small stroke and in 11/2002 a TIA. He started to go downhill from there. He was formally dx'd in early 2004 at stage 4/5. All the tests at that point were inconclusive. One neuro dx'd him with alzheimers and the second one we saw dx'd him with Lewy Body Dementia. All my research pointed to LBD and I was going to pursue that diagnosis with the neuro when I fell and broke my pelvis in 4 places. I spent four months in a wheelchair and was unable to pursue it further at that time. When I got mobile again, he was stage 7 and under hospice care so didn't go further with it. He passed away 18 months ago yesterday. His death certificate states "alzheimer type dementia".