My dh is showing symtoms/actions more frequently indicating that he is declining in abilities and memory. Two days ago we went into a store to buy something. He knew what it was, and actively participated in trying to pick it out. It was earrings for me, since I had ruined one of my regular set. It was to be for Valentine's Day, his idea. We spent some time at the jewelry counter looking at jewelry and talking, didn't find anything, and left to wander around the store. About 30 minutes later, as we had a snack in the store, he looked at me and said, "What did we come into this store to get?" "Earrings," I said. "Oh, that's right," he said.
This is just the latest in a string of incidents lately, occurring on an average of one a week or so, showing that his memory is declining. Also, recently I was trying to tell him something. He got agitated, and couldn't take it in. It was just too much information for him, and it angered him.
Dh hasn't been dx. But I am sure he has either FTD or Picks disease. I think he has had this disease for many years, in retrospect, when you look at his rage and anger problems during the 21 years we've been married. He will be 80 years old in July.
I apologize if you've answered this question on another thread, but why hasn't he been diagnosed? It is important to be properly diagnosed in order to get the proper treatment. I know that there is no cure, but medications can slow the progression and ease the anger. Not all medications are appropriate for all dementias, which is why it is best to be able to pinpoint which dementia is the culprit.
What you describe sounds like my husband. Slow, steady decline in memory and abilities.
DH is on Seroquel, Joan. It's helped a lot with the anger/rage. He's being managed by his pcp, along with her managing his diabetes. I did try to get him dx by a neurologist, twice, a year apart. This doctor, the neurologist, essentially blew me off the second time, saying he's just having trouble ageing. It was the same doctor both times. After this, I decided to let the pcp manage him. She put him on the Seroquel, at my request, and even tho he's basically a rageful, angry person, which remains just under the surface, the Seroquel is keeping him in a better place, one that I can live with. We've had to increase the med once, but so far this increase is holding.
It's interesting that you see a resemblance to Sid in my dh actions. I, too, have seen that, from your descriptions over the months. Yes, dh is really doing the slow, steady declind in memory and abilities, but now I see that it appears to be escalating. The episodes are happening more frequently. I know from this website that the Seroquel will mask the symptoms (anger/rage), while the dementia continues on underneath.
Thanks so much for this wonderful website, Joan, and for all you do. I send you many hugs.
Joan did a wonderful thing, creating this website... I, too see a resemblance in my DH...Not sure what to call this latest malady but it's driving me absolutely nuts....Knowing that DH cannot comprehend too much at a time, I am careful to explain or say, 3 different ways what I want him to know... for example, snow everywhere, He decides to shovel a bit... I made coffee for him... When I took his cup to him, I ask him NOT to turn off the coffee maker, not to unplug the coffeemaker and to remember to LEAVE the coffeemaker ON... He looked for all the world like he understood,,, when I got back to the kitchen, you guessed it, He's turned it off. I think I handle the blank stares but this just makes me mad, I need to adjust to yet another stage.....What DO they think about?? Patience, all...
My husband always said he had holes in his head. Doesn't verbalize that, but it explains it. They DON'T, they CAN'T think. If you haven't read the "Understanding the Dementia Experience" over on the left side of the home page, DO!
Here is a second vote for everyone here to read UNDERSTANDING THE DEMENTIA EXPERIENCE. I've never seen anything as good on the subject. It was written by a Canadian social worker. You need to get past the first couple of pages where she is apologizing for writing for the general public and not professionals. Once you get past that part, it all is easy to read and understand, but pretty shocking if you haven't been told what she is trying to teach.
Same here - slow, but steady. Still very high functioning if you only see him for 15 minutes and don't believe what he is saying. We changed neurologists. She had diagnosed him with AD and then said that he should go to therapy to help him with his anger and agitation. She is the AD expert in town. The MRIs show the tangles and the atrophy of his brain and the psych testing also showed AD. It isn't ethical - or reasonable - for a person with AD who has no insight, problems with reasoning and poor memory to go to therapy. That is where this website comes in handy - we aren't alone and we can get the info and direction we need to take the steps we need.