I am 60; wife is 52 and was diagnosed in 2007 at age 47. Thanks for having this website here. It is such a hard thing to accept, then deal with and then try to have a life. Thomas
Welcome, Thomas. There will be others along who can relate to you with early onset of this disease of their spouse. It's a tough row to hoe, but it is made easier here to have people who have been where you are now. Acceptance will come for you and ways to cope, and we are all here to help where we can. It is important for you to have a life in order for you to survive and know that you are important, too.
Thomas, I am glad you found this site. I too am 60 and this is my support group and there isn't a better one anywhere. I have learned so much here it has both made my job as a caregiver much easier and has enabled me to give my wife a greater quality of life. Over the years I have been coming here there has not been one question I have had that has gone unanswered. I sencerely believe it has been my greatest asset in dealing with my wives Alzheimer's.
Welcome to a great source of wisdom and compassion. You will never be alone. When you see a * after some names it is because our struggles are over. We stay to help others as we were helped.
Welcome to my website, which I started in 2007, because I needed a place that dealt with my unique issues as a spouse of an Alzheimer patient. It is now 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".
This definitely applies to you and your spouse - there are 4 sections for EOAD (early onset AD- now called YOUNG onset)members - two of which focus on the young teens whose parents have EOAD 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.
Howdy Thomas and welcome from WV also.Sorry that you had to join our club but you won't find a better place to be when you need a shoulder to cry on or a wall to punch! I am 61 caring for 64 year old husband.
Welcome to our wonderful cyber family, Thomas; sorry you have to be here, but you will be glad you found us. Joan's site has been a blessing and a life saver to me for the last 3 yrs. My husband was diagnosed with Alz, 5 yrs ago at the age of 57....he is 62 now, I am 59.
welcome Thomas. a very select group of spouses who know the ropes of caring for dementia illness. we talk about all aspects that affect our spousal relationships here you can do a search about any topic and there is a wealth of info from folks who walk the walk and talk the talk. glad to have you but sorry for the circumstances. divvi
WE are glad you found us...we are all in the same boat one way or the other and those with experience here have been so helpful to those of us at different stages of this journey..
Thomas, welcome to your virtual support group. Like everyone said, we understand your issues, so please feel free to ask us any questions, let out your frustrations, or just read what everyone else has to say. The good thing is that we are here 24/7 so come back anytime.
Welcome Thomas, I was 47 and my HB WAS 52 when diagnosed. He is now 61. This is a great support place, try to also find an Early Onset group that you can attend, if your wife is willing. They usually meet monthly. Find them through your local Alzheimer's Association.
Welcome to you Thomas. I remember the first time i found this site. At first, I read and read and got depressed looking into the future through the stories of others. Over time that went away as the value of talking to others out-waysed all the stuff that will come our way. My lovely wife is seven years into this now and I'm caring for her myself without help. (Working on that) Thanks to this site I'm hanging on. It's scary how many we are but thank god we are here for each other. Visit often. These are probably the only folks that truly can understand your burdens and can offer great advice when you seem to be going off track or just want to let some steam off. Was reluctant at first but they are all friends here and make it easy. I even quit my support group!
Hi Thomas, I am 56 and my husband is 63, diagnosed a year ago with EOAD.
I was lost when I found this site, yes I was doing the right things for him, but I had NO ONE to really talk to, and very few people want to help or hear about it.
You can say anything here, and not feel ashamed. There are the veterans, everyone hurts, and yet we lift each other up. It is very real, no fooling around who would want to be in our shoes?
Welcome Thomas, I am 68, my DH is 72. We are 4 years into this journey.
This is the place to be, so many of us are going through this....here I found comfort and knowledge with out judgement when i needed to talk about my feelings. I hope you will too.
Welcome Thomas, I am 54 and my DW is 52. She was "officially" diagnosed with FTD about a year ago, but the journey began almost 5 years ago. I hope you find as much comfort and knowledge/understanding from this site as I have.
Welcome Thomas...as other have said you will always get great support and advice from the members of this website, so don't be shy. DH was diagnosed with AD, then FTD 3 years ago at age 58 (I was 57). We're 3 years into this journey and he is 61 and I am 60. This website has helped me become more educated about my husband's illness and made me a better caregiver.
Welcome to the "land of younger onset" there is no shortage around here. I am 53 with a 60 y/o wife who's symptoms started at 55. (quit working at 57) Something that is never in short supply at this place are folks who understand what you are going through.
Welcome Thomas---my husband (a Thomas himself) was diagnosed at 53 (with either EOAD or FTD) and is now 59 and requires 24/7 care, but still at home. I am 55---this website has been such a resource and blessing. What part of the country do you live in?