worried for my dad :( why the wait??

[ermineangel]

hey my names angie ,for the last few months my dad's memory really seems to be terrible he is 65 and forgetting little things like when he goes in the kitchen for something then not knowing why etc, getting something out for his tea,then getting something else because he has forgotten, but the worste thing he told me was that when he came to visit me he lives in a different town to where i grew up he was coming down one of the roads and he had to pull over for 15 min because he genuinely didnt have a clue where he was.... well my dad was a taxi driver in this town for over 25 years so that is pretty bad!! he has been to docs and had a memory test which they said was inconclusive so they sent him for a c a t scan, after he had that he got a letter from his doctor saying that he needed to go for an mri scan, he has had that and now has a letter saying that he has to go see a specialist to talk thru his results i am so worried that this is going to turn out to be dementia or something similar i also recently found out that his mother suffered from mental health issues and that she may have had the onset of alzheimers but she took her own life when i was very little , if any one has any info on if this sounds like there diagnosis or a family members diagnosis please post as i really am scared and dont want to worry unnecceraly but on the other hand i want to be prepared when we go for the results in 6 weeks time, but i did think it would be a sooner appointment than 6 weeks if it was anything bad,...right?. . oh i dont no just really worried , thanx for listening to me xxxAngie

[BeckyJan]

Hi and welcome to Talking Point.

It must be dreadful for both you and your Dad having to wait. All I know is that 6 weeks really is no time at all in terms of dementia.

It could be something relatively simple that has caused this memory loss so please try not to panic (easier said than done, I know).

It may be worth you ringing the Consultant's secretary to say how worried you are and whether the appointment could be brought forward or can you be slotted into any cancellation.

Glad you found us and let us know how things go. If it is dementia there is a mass of support and advice here.
Best wishes

[ermineangel]

will deffinately keep in touch think this is a fantastic site ty xxxx

[Nebiroth]

Even if your dad's mother had something like Alzheimer's, this means little, because inheritance generally plays a very small part in this illness. Unless your dad's mother suffered from it at an unusually young age (normally, this means, under 60 and it is called 'early onset') then family history is relatively unimportant. Even with early onset, there is only an increased risk, not certainty.

The vast majority of dementia sufferers are elderly as the risk rises substantially with age, espescially after 80 and the link with genetics is thought to be extremely weak.

[willingdonkey]

hi sorry to hear about your dads memory problems, there could be other explanations for this, and thats, i think why the medical proffesions need to be absolutely sure before they diagnose. My mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia over a year ago now, im sure she had a scan and then there was a time lapse berfore another scan was taken, again i think this was to compare any changes. It is frustrating and hard not to worry, but maybe try to contact the consultant and push for any information they have at present. In the mean time, maybe get dad checked by gp for things like water infections which can cause confusion, and his general health, maybe blood tests. You got to get used to being a bit of a pain and ask ask ask, who ever and what ever your worried about, your doing for the love of your dad and you are entitled to know. Good luck x