Hello,
I don't live at home but my mum has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 65 years old. She is independent and previously very successful and high powered in her job, retired at 60. Not long afterwards I started to notice that her scope of things she talked about began to narrow, her confidence dipped, she began relying more on my dad to make decisions (she would normally make them in the family), conversations with her started to become very one-way: she would talk at you (usually about the same things) and it was as if she wasn't listening - or hearing - the answers you'd give.
I suspect the symptoms started a couple of years ago, but only this summer we sought a diagnosis and booked her an appointment. She did not react well to this. Although diagnosed, and now on drugs for it as of last week, she will not talk about it (to me) or acknowledge it openly. She does not admit there's anything wrong. Doesn't understand why my dad is sometimes frustrated and tells me he is "always having a go" at her. Whenever I go home to visit I feel like I am between the two of them, mediating, trying to support my dad - who is very patient but is adjusting to the diagnosis and what it means, and how to handle it, and sometimes gets frustrated - and being supportive to my mum, who obviously can't, at this stage, understand why he's frustrated.
She is at a very early stage, still so loving, talks a lot about the past, travels, sees friends, maintains a fairly normal life, and recently got OK'd to drive again which we're so pleased about. But I don't live at home and although I visit every couple of weeks, but call every week, I find it difficult because she is almost in denial, and often feel angry about this stupid disease and anxious about leaving them to handle it. I don't think it's sunk in yet that this isn't my mother being annoying (which we thought it was for a long time) but because it's out of her control. It's all so new to us. And so difficult to stop your brain leaping into the future. I am not sure what is my mother's personality and what is the alzheimer's taking hold.
Sorry, long first message. Hoping to hear some words of wisdom or just "been there", if you have, or remember being at this stage of things!
I don't live at home but my mum has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 65 years old. She is independent and previously very successful and high powered in her job, retired at 60. Not long afterwards I started to notice that her scope of things she talked about began to narrow, her confidence dipped, she began relying more on my dad to make decisions (she would normally make them in the family), conversations with her started to become very one-way: she would talk at you (usually about the same things) and it was as if she wasn't listening - or hearing - the answers you'd give.
I suspect the symptoms started a couple of years ago, but only this summer we sought a diagnosis and booked her an appointment. She did not react well to this. Although diagnosed, and now on drugs for it as of last week, she will not talk about it (to me) or acknowledge it openly. She does not admit there's anything wrong. Doesn't understand why my dad is sometimes frustrated and tells me he is "always having a go" at her. Whenever I go home to visit I feel like I am between the two of them, mediating, trying to support my dad - who is very patient but is adjusting to the diagnosis and what it means, and how to handle it, and sometimes gets frustrated - and being supportive to my mum, who obviously can't, at this stage, understand why he's frustrated.
She is at a very early stage, still so loving, talks a lot about the past, travels, sees friends, maintains a fairly normal life, and recently got OK'd to drive again which we're so pleased about. But I don't live at home and although I visit every couple of weeks, but call every week, I find it difficult because she is almost in denial, and often feel angry about this stupid disease and anxious about leaving them to handle it. I don't think it's sunk in yet that this isn't my mother being annoying (which we thought it was for a long time) but because it's out of her control. It's all so new to us. And so difficult to stop your brain leaping into the future. I am not sure what is my mother's personality and what is the alzheimer's taking hold.
Sorry, long first message. Hoping to hear some words of wisdom or just "been there", if you have, or remember being at this stage of things!
diagnosis is good so medication can be given to slow the disease down . I concentrate on all the things my husband can still do rather then what he can't . Nearly 6 years down the line, he is still converse albeit slower and even though he is aware of his illness, he has such a positive out look on things. Keep posting and you will get a lot of support and advise 
