There are so many changes in DH that I just don't understand what is happening. He has changed so much since last year at this time and even in the last two months. No more aggressive behaviour. He is still very critical of others eating habits and weight, but no more screaming and yelling or threatening. They have put him on .5 Ativan four times a day but that is all the changes in Meds. He has trouble sleeping at night and is again singing songs over and over in his head all night then sleeping from 09:00 to sometimes 11:30 then having lunch and sometimes sleeping for usually an hour but often two or more in the afternoon. He still walks his half hour everyday when he is not to tired. I have moved to the city where he is and he comes and does odd jobs that he can still do but sometimes he shakes so bad and gets so tired just putting in two screws to hold a light under the counter, I have never seem this happen before. His memory is not good now, even some long term. How can the aggression just disappear? Is this normal with bv FTD? He is now back in love with me again and says how much he misses me and the us. I just don't understand these changes. He is becoming so mellow and sad. It's so sad to watch him struggle with the lonesomeness and longing to be well. I have my yearly assessment meeting with his care team on the 30th of October and they are noticing these same changes but are not sure just what is happening either. He is also distancing himself from some of the residence that he was close to before. He seems to want to be alone more.
These changes sound like the usual changes we see in AD. You can be fairly sure that what you are dealing with now will change at some point. We just don't know when the change will occur or what it will be. Some patients become more peaceful, even happy (my wife did this). Others can go from being fairly agreeable to outbursts of anger, etc.
Other than the stopping of the aggression, which was just the opposite with my DH (he was never aggressive, but then towards the end, he was)…it sounds like the usual Alzheimers progression. With my DH, it was heartbreakingly, excruciatingly slow and gradual over the years 2000--2014. Then there was a huge downturn on 4/14/14, resulting in a week's hospitalization and three weeks Rehab. Then the Hospice referral and bringing him home brought eight weeks or so of him seeming better, brighter, pleasantly ditsy but enjoying the socialization; but then the deterioration kicked in again, and he went downhill for the next eight weeks until he died…with agitation, restlessness, aggressiveness, combativeness, more incontinence, hallucinations, more falls, less eating and drinking…all in play for those last seven weeks, until the eighth week Aug. 26-Sept. 2, when he just deteriorated so much mentally and physically that we kept him in bed. There was still incredible agitation and restlessness until the afternoon of Aug. 28, when finally they let me have some morphine for him. From then on it was just being comatose and kept comfortable until he stopped breathing around 3pm on Sept. 2.
I wish I had marked down the date, but probably three weeks--maybe two--before he died, he became totally lucid for a minute or two--took my hand and kissed it--said, "Liz--I love you." Then we kissed on the lips. I will never forget that moment until the day I die.
Jazzy, I agree that it's the progression of the bvFTD. My husband has bvFTD and the doctors keep telling me he will get less agitated/combative as the disease progresses. Well, he's in early-mid stage 7 equivalent and he's only marginally less agitated. I think he'll be agitated up to the end.
As marsh says, some get calmer as the disease progresses, others get agitated who weren't previously. I'm sure it has to do with which areas of the brain are being affected. It's all heartbreaking to witness, but enjoy the gentler, loving moments when they come.
the Ativan may have something to do with it as well. my DH went from aggressive ansy agitated and then to a mellow relaxed type later stages. hes not ftd but I don't know that with aggressive behavior it matters. hes rarely on Ativan even now very late stage 7. the progressive changes never stop until we tend to notice.
It is such a change that I just didn't understand. I thought he would become more aggressive not less. He is still very OCD and has sleeping problems but he us eating and exercising and smiles some but he is so sad it breaks your heart. This disease is so unpredictable.