Laying here with my loved one reading my emails.. One pops up from the alz association about studies and bathroom helping tools. Don looks over, sees the alzheimer banner and says "we've been really lucky in that area. Gee, never quite looked at it that way. Well then....
I would bet that most, maybe not all, but most patients with ALZ don't know they have it. My DH feels so badly when we hear news of his sister who has this disease...but he has no recall that he too has it. I suppose it is a blessing that they do not realize this but I think they do get upset when we get the blues and we can't even really tell them the truth about it all. To do that would hurt their feelings for them to know that it puts us in such a state of distress. We both lose but in someways the caregiver loses harder.
Thanks Mimi , its odd but DH has known for years what he has but does not currently associate his symptoms or declines with the disease.. Seems that as he progresses through the stages he is forgetting what he learned about alz early on. No surprise there! Now he just gets really sad or frustrated or angry at what is happening to him. ;(. I also get double or triple sad. ( I won't mention how angry I get. Oyyyyy.)
When my wife is crying her heart out and feeling completely frustrated I look her in the eye and call her my "Alzheimer's Babe". A little term of endearment I started using in the last 6 months or so.
A few times she says 'yes' and seems to understand but most times she doesn't get it at all.
However when she tries to explain to me in gibberish why she cant cant seem to accomplish what she wants I agree and tell her how confusing things are. She readily agrees and always finds this empathic statement comforting.