DH, son, and I drove to the Delaware shore. We passed through a large farm, which had just spread fertilizer in the fields. The fertilizer was incredibly rancid. There was no escaping the odor, even with the windows rolled up, and the fan turned off. My son screamed from the back seat, “Oh God! Oh God! We are going to die! Do something! This is going to kill us!” He pulled his shirt over his face and screamed some more. It was really quite hysterical! I was laughing so hard! But, I too, eventually had to pull my shirt up over my nose (while driving) to try and escape the putrid odor. I’ve driven past plenty of farms in my life, but NEVER experienced anything like this. In spite of the overpowering, sickening aroma we had a very good laugh, and after several minutes, fortunately we put the farm behind us and returned to breathable air.
What was so surreal is that while my son and I screamed, and gagged, and buried our noses to escape the stench, my husband sat in the passenger seat, tapping away on his I-phone, totally oblivious to the whole situation. He never once so much as wrinkled his nose.
I have seen threads here with some discussion of this, but I would be interested to hear if anyone else has experienced such an obvious indication that the sense of smell was not working for their LO.
Research shows the sense of smell impaired in Alzheimer’s: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040312090410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112171803.htm
One study successfully used a smell test to discriminate between Alzheimer's, Vascular Dementia, and Major Depression: http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/14/2/197
One article claims “The inability to identify the smell of lemons, lilac, leather and seven other odors predicts which patients with minimal to mild cognitive impairment (MMCI) will develop Alzheimer's Disease." The complete list of these smells is: strawberry, smoke, soap, menthol, clove, pineapple, natural gas, lilac, lemon and leather. http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Alzheimers/4-12-13LemonSmell.htm
The possibility of such a test is interesting, since I have been thinking lately it would be better if we knew definitively whether or not DH is going to progress. It seems we are only able to pay lip service to the Pollyanna attitude - we'll assume your MCI will not progress and everything will work out for the best. Currently, DH is depressed and I am frustrated. Perhaps knowing would help us move to acceptance, and a more peaceful place.
That article is dated 2004. Since I've never heard of such a test perhaps it was discredited. Does anyone know?
About 10 years ago, when DH was 80, I noticed that he dildn't smell when something was burning on the stove (this was in the good old days when he would make oatmeal porridge for breakfast). Fast forward seven years to when he was 87 and first diagnosed with MCI. (He's now in approx. early stage 6 and is almost 91.) He showed definite signs of A-Z for 4 years before the diagnosis of MCI. So, as others have pointed out, this disease can be of long duration. Now I'm wondering if he's had it for 10-11 years, but has been masterful at hiding it. To answer your question, It would have made things so much easier if we had known at the beginning. We could have made better living and financial arrangements. On the other hand, I doubt whether he would have accepted the prognosis. But at least, I would have been forearmed and could have made better plans.
Now in hind sight, that was definitely an early symptom for us and it occured right around the time I saw the first cognitive symptoms and suspected something wrong. DH is VaD but I suspect might have AD also because he has more memory problems that seems normal with VaD.
Mary, you said your DH was using his Iphone. How does he do with it? I need to get a new phone for DH and have been looking for simple ones that use AT&T. I have an Iphone and considering that for him.
Terry, my husband seldom makes calls, but he can still receive them (but he doesn't always pick up). The phone in the room is the standard phone and is hooked up to the Care Facility's own system.
You will miss your husband if you get him an I-phone :)
As you must know, the I-phone has soooooooo many free apps & games. My husband literally glued himself to it, for the better part of a year. As a matter of fact, when I was trying to get him to see a doctor, he asked folks at work if they had noticed his memory problems, etc. One employee suggested his cognitive problems were probably caused by the I-phone, because he always had his nose in it, and was only half paying attention to the world around him.
I recently found out he was burying himself in email by having all his emails go to his desktop computer and also forwarding them to his I-Phone (but the two systems do not sync). So he was processing each e-mail twice - once at his desk, and once again on his I-Phone. I pointed out that technoloigy is supposed to help you be more efficient - not less. It took me the better part of two days to convince him to stop doing that. I finally just begged him to give it a try for one week. After the first day he said, "This is great not having to go through all my e-mails on my I-Phone!"
I think any male is probably more inclined to download all these apps and play with them all the time. But then add in cognitive problems and they can really get swallowed up by an I-phone.
But on the other hand, while his nose is in the I-phone, he is not getting in any other kind of trouble - and that is a BIG plus :)
Loss of the ability to smell was my husband's first noticeable symptom, maybe 10 years prior to dx of MCI. He said he couldn't taste his food, but I think it was due to the sense of smell being damaged. The olfactory part of the brain is right next to the hippocampus, where AD usually starts. So it's no wonder that the sense of smell is often impaired very early.
MarilynMD, that's is interesting and puts a whole different spin on things. If he had Alzheimer's that far back, no wonder he acted in a way that I found totally bewildering. It was as if he had no common sense. Thanks for the insight.
Today I came home with the air purifier turned on sanitize. This is a machine that puts out Ozone and if in a big house no big deal, but this is a motorhome. He was standing maybe 10 feet in front of it doing dishes (big surprise) and said he couldn't smell it. I definitely could before I even go inside. BTW - the closest I can say is ozone smells like chlorine. His smell is going. I know he can't tell the difference between pepsi and root beer.
Loss of the sense of smell was one of my husband's first symptoms. I forget sometimes how poor it is. We walked by a Mrs. Fields' Cookies the other day. It smelled heavenly, and he couldn't smell anything. It has definitely affected his sense of taste.
Mary22033 I can identify with you. When we lived in Donald, OR they watered the trees at one of the nurseries with the water from the sewer plant. When driving anywhere past the dairies you would get that great smell you describe when they were 'watering' the pastures with liquid manure. And don't forget that 'great' smell going past the pulp mills!! In honesty- I would rather those smells than many of the city smells.
mary75--yes, AD was probably working on your husband earlier than you knew. When my husband lost his sense of smell, (10 yrs prior to MCI dx) his personality was still the same, but looking back, I think I can see that his judgment started to be impaired then. Also, he was able to conceal other changes and compensate for years without me suspecting anything.
I've noticed my husband's sense of taste and smell is not good anymore. We'll smell something and he thinks it is something else. He also complains that things don't "taste right."
If the sense of smell is gone or diminished then the sense of taste is as well. I think this is what is responsible for the LOs loss of interest in foods, Medicines can do this too.