My hubs is 47 and has Alz. Some of the issues I feel are normal alz issues that we deal with......however his spatial problems are horrible! He can't plug a plug into an outlet ( he can't line it up right), couldn't put the cap back on a syrup bottle the right way, can't hang up a coat on a hanger, can not zip up a coat, can't write at all anymore and the list goes on. Do other have such strong problems with the spatial issues too?
All senses change as the brain cells that control them are damaged. One of the first symptoms of AD is a change in smell, being unable to identify common odors like baby powder, lemon, chocolate, fish, smoke. Taste will change, usually they crave sweets; hearing and touch change. The main reason they shouldn't drive is because the eyes change and there is no way to correct it.
Samismom22--Your husband is young. Is his AD of the familial type, or just random young onset? Often the variant of AD known as Posterior Cortical Atrophy or Benson's syndrome is more apt to be found in younger onset victims. (such as my husband whose symptoms began in his 50s.) PCA tends, in general, to trash visuo-spatial orientation and the ability to read, write, and perform mechanical tasks before it has totally done in the memory. Classic AD tends to occur in the reverse order. HOWEVER, as it's always an organic process there can be variations, overlap, and every type of exception. My husband's visuospatial problems have been quite bad from the get-go, but memory and other cognitive problems have also occurred all along...it's just a matter of which is worst earliest.
I'll post some links to info on PCA for you, but even if he doesn't fit specifically into that category, this might provide some insight into the problems he's experiencing.
Wow Emily that is helpful, I am going to check out those links. It is not the familial type, NO family history what so ever! Both of his parents are very healthy and in their 80's, his grandparents lived long into their early 90's. I am intrigued by the PCA, because his spatial issues are so much worse, sure the memory is bad, but the spatial things tanked long ago! Sometimes I feel I am so walking this journey on my own so a little extra insight is helpful! :)
Well...feel free to check in with me, or email me at emm.gillespie(insert at sign here)gmail.com. Mine got his AD diagnosis at age 59 in 2007, and the specific diagnosis of PCA just this year after completing some clinical studies and various PETscans at NIH. Not that I recommend extra PETscans...it was a bit trying, but I figured we were contributing to research, and it did nail down his Dx. Same thing. No family history whatsoever.