Hello Everyone - this was posted in the Welcome New Members section, but I wanted to make sure everyone saw it, so I am putting it here.
joang
Hi! My name is Elaine & my husband was diagnosed with early dementia 4 years ago. It is progressing to what I think is AZ, but since he won't go back to the neurologist for anymore follow up exams I'm pretty much using the guidelines for the different stages of AZ & he seems to be around stage 5. He is 62 & I am 60. I am glad I found this website. A friend at a support group told me about it.
Elaine, Welcome to my website. You have come to a place of comfort for spouses/partners who are trying to cope with the Alzheimer's/dementia of their husband/wife/partner. The issues we face in dealing with a spouse/partner with this disease are so different from the issues faced by children and grandchildren caregivers. We discuss all of those issues here - loss of intimacy; social contact; conversation; anger; resentment; stress; and pain of living with the stranger that Alzheimer's Disease has put in place of our beloved spouse/partner.
The message boards are only part of this website. Please be sure to log onto the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and read all of the resources on the left side. I recommend starting with "Newly Diagnosed/New Member" and "Understanding the Dementia Experience". There are 4 sections for EOAD (Young Onset - at age 62, and having exhibited signs for 4 years, your husband definitely falls into that category) members - two of which focus on the young teens whose parents have EOAD (early onset AD). There is a great section on informative videos, and another excellent resource - Early Onset Dementia - A Practical Guide. You can go to the top of this page, click on "search", and type in EOAD, making sure the "topic" circle is filled in. All of the EOAD discussions will come up - there are about a dozen of them.
Do not miss the "previous blog" section. It is there you will find a huge array of topics with which you can relate. There is a "search" feature on the home page that allows you to look up different topics that may have been explored in a previous blog. Log onto the home page daily for new blogs; news updates; important information.
I hope you come often for the support and information you need.
Welcome Elaine: My DH is 63 and has Alz probably for at least 3 to 4 years. He has been to a neuro and the VA doctors check on his condition. This may sound strange to you and at first it might be difficult to accept, but doctor visits have meant little to me or to my husband other then to prescribe medications. I think for me this was one of the most difficult things for me to get use to since all of my life when you went to the doctor it was to get better or at least get some treatment so you might get better. Now I have accepted the fact that....there is no getting better only getting worse...there is no treatment for even improvement except medications to slow the progression. My husbands neuro lets me call for an appointment rather then scheduling appoints every 3 or 6 months. He says you know if you need to bring your husband in or if you think his medications are a problem. So it may be in your best interest and peace of mind to just accept the fact that your dh objects to returning to the neuro....what you want from the neuro probably isn't available (treatment for improvement). We all have been in this boat...so let us try and help you as others before us have helped us.
Elaine - if you want to do a test at home, the following link will take you to the SAGE test, similar to the MMSE but you can print it and have him fill it out.
Thank you everyone for the welcome. We have been out of town for a few days so I have been out of touch. I am presently working one day a week, but now he deosn't even want me to do that. He is afraid to be alone. My daughters help out & I am blessed to have one live right across the street. Judith, my family doctor prescribes the Aricept & Namenda now. He goes every 4 months for blood work. I have read the comments & see myself or my husband in quite a few of them so I know that this will be very helpful when I have a question. Thanks again.
welcome Elaine. many here are ahead of you or behind you in this journey. many have finished their journeys. come back and read and ask anything or vent whatever. lots of understanding folks here. divvi
Welcome Elaine, I placed my husband in a nursing home in mid-January. Don't be afraid to ask anything on here or if you just need to vent, we're here to listen.