Hello everyone.
I wonder if anyone can help me to understand somthing.
My sister was diagnosed with an "Alzheimers type" dementia when she was 51,she is now 56. Although I can see in some ways that she is getting worse(bathroom habits etc) It seems to me that from the beginning of her illness,she would never have had enough about her to come to a board like this and say "Help I am having memory problems." I hope that doesnt come across as me being mean,it's just that I have come across(on here and other boards,and even tv documentry's) where there are people with this type of illness and they will say things like. "oh yes I need to take this medication or that one because I wont eat other wise" or someone will sit at a piano and play some lovely music and anounce that "unfortunaly I will have forgotten I did that in a few minuets" or, "oh I cant tie my shoe laces properly anymore"
What I am trying to say(and probably badly) is that my sister would not be even capable of even realising that she can no longer do those things. Her house is full of wonderful paintings that she has done over the years,but she just doesnt seem to know what a paint brush is any more,let alone know what to do with it . And yet I can take her out to look around an antiques market or similer and she will talk to me about things that she sees. One day she saw a book that she realy liked,so we bought it. When she got home it turned out that she had the exact same book(I didnt know obviously) Now, that I can understand because she was remembering the feeling of enjoying the book and that is why she wanted it although she had forgotten that she had it. But,most of the time she has to be prompted to do almost everything. A good example is opening the car door to get out,she got so confused one day that when she was prompted to open the car door to get out,she held up a bag that was at her feet and tried to pass it through the closed window.
I am sorry for waffling on. I know this disease does effect people differently but it just seems to me that most people have had a very graduel decline,where as I feel that with my sister it was all happening at the word go.
Sorry,waffle over.
I wonder if anyone can help me to understand somthing.
My sister was diagnosed with an "Alzheimers type" dementia when she was 51,she is now 56. Although I can see in some ways that she is getting worse(bathroom habits etc) It seems to me that from the beginning of her illness,she would never have had enough about her to come to a board like this and say "Help I am having memory problems." I hope that doesnt come across as me being mean,it's just that I have come across(on here and other boards,and even tv documentry's) where there are people with this type of illness and they will say things like. "oh yes I need to take this medication or that one because I wont eat other wise" or someone will sit at a piano and play some lovely music and anounce that "unfortunaly I will have forgotten I did that in a few minuets" or, "oh I cant tie my shoe laces properly anymore"
What I am trying to say(and probably badly) is that my sister would not be even capable of even realising that she can no longer do those things. Her house is full of wonderful paintings that she has done over the years,but she just doesnt seem to know what a paint brush is any more,let alone know what to do with it . And yet I can take her out to look around an antiques market or similer and she will talk to me about things that she sees. One day she saw a book that she realy liked,so we bought it. When she got home it turned out that she had the exact same book(I didnt know obviously) Now, that I can understand because she was remembering the feeling of enjoying the book and that is why she wanted it although she had forgotten that she had it. But,most of the time she has to be prompted to do almost everything. A good example is opening the car door to get out,she got so confused one day that when she was prompted to open the car door to get out,she held up a bag that was at her feet and tried to pass it through the closed window.
I am sorry for waffling on. I know this disease does effect people differently but it just seems to me that most people have had a very graduel decline,where as I feel that with my sister it was all happening at the word go.
Sorry,waffle over.