My husband was at the doctor today and I think he is getting closer to stage 6. Answered 3 out of 30 questions. He seemed to sail thru the early stages. Not diagnosed until 2008 but in hindsight had symptoms before. Does anyone know if it is a long stage? I am panicking as there has been alot of change in the last 6 months and I am not prepared for it like I should be.
There is no easy answer to your question. Everyone is different. Some people remain in a stage for years; others skip from one to another quickly. Others remain in one for a long time, and another stage for a short time. No matter how much we learn and know about the disease, we are never prepared emotionally for what comes next.
Dog, everyone is different and therefore it is difficult to help you. Our experience was that DH could recall recent - mid-term memories in May 2008 - where he worked, where he lived, where I worked, who his doctor was,etc. Then in August 2008 he couldn't remember any of it. In October 2008 he was diagnosed with FTD and I was advised he could never live at home again his dementia was so severe. The dr estimated he had 2 years to live he was declining so fast. I rejected the dr's opinion and have him home with a live-in aide. He has lost some more memory but at this point is no where near an early death. Being cared for at home has really made a difference, he has stabilized and at this point is doing better than expected.
I think that the Stage descriptions published by the fisher Alz Info has the best listing that gives at least some idea of the time spans we might encounter. We are in stage 7 and it is very helpful for #6&7 You can copy and paste the address below for a PDF document.
Once again we need to remember "if you have seen one Alzheimer's patient, you have seen one Alzheimer's patient" - no two patients go through the "stages" in order, nor at the same pace. They will have some of stage 3, some of stage 4 and some of stage 5, all at the same time. Some of our spouses have gone downhill very fast, to level off in the last stage. Three spouses have lost their loved ones recently, who were not as far along as my husband. You just can't predict anything.
I live by a new word: "Flexibility" - it replaced "patience" (which I lived by during the earlier stages!) - you have to accept what they can't do any longer, and that they will die - some sooner and some later - and nothing we do or don't do will have any bearing on when ....because when AD wants to end it, it will end. If you can accept that, the next months and years will be spent appreciating the things you can still do together, or just having them to be with, and try to have fun with them and give them love. They will be gone before you know it. I'm treasuring my husband and still getting hugs...though he has no idea who I am. It's one of the very few things he can still do.
Mary, I agree with you 100%. Thanks for your helpful comments. Also, Bill, thanks for that link. It's the best I have seen and I think I will e-mail it to DH's sisters in Michigan.
Everyone is so different and it is true, if you seen one Alzheimer's patient, you've seen one Alzheimer's patient. My husband was able to sign legal paperwork for DPOA in Novemer 2008 at about stage 4. By March 2009, I had started filing it at the bank, etc. In December 2009, I placed him in assisted living. He is well into stage 6 now.