What is vascular dementia really like?

[Kayla]

Mother-in-law

My mother-in-law died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning. Her funeral will be on Monday 26th June. Cheerful and independent to the end, she will be greatly missed. She lost her own Mum at the age of 12 years, but she was like a second Mum to me and many other people. In nearly every telephone conversation, she would say, "I'm quite happy here. It's a nice little close and everyone is so friendly!"
As Albert Schweitzer once said:
"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

 

[lucy 85]

vascular dementia

my grandad was diagnosed with vascular dementia a year ago and sadly passed away three weeks ago.
Throughout the whole of his life he was perfectly health, reguarly walking and gardening, and had no nutritional deficencies. he took daily vitamin and cod liver oil supplements, yet this terrible disease somehow got hold of my cherished grandad. dementia, in my case was completely unjustified by any medical contition which may have set it off. all i can guess is that the trauma of his wife battling breast cancer was maybe too much for him to take. fortunately she is perfectly healthy now.
during the last few months of his lifehe was completely incapable of eating or talking, although there was a glint of his former self in his eyes. dementia is a cruel disease, and i really hope he didnt have any awareness towards the end.

does anybody else think that stress or trauma has set off dementia in any sufferers?

 

[Taz]

Hi
Same with my Dad, he's always taken exercise, never smoked, didn't drink much and ate healthily as well as taking supplements. He lost his best friend suddenly to cancer about 4 years ago, then my maternal Nan died (he was very close to her). Last year our GP prescribed a drug called Arcoxia (?) for Dad's arthritis and within a day he'd begun to have what we thought were fits: he was hallucinating and delusional and his eyes hurt. Mum stopped him taking the tablets and went back to the GP who told her to keep giving them to him and she was over-reacting. In the mean time I went on the internet and found out about 'mini strokes' which seemed to tie in with what Dad had experienced. Again, we spoke to the GP but he dismissed our concerns. It was at this point that we discovered that since the time that the GP had prescribed Arcoxia it had been withdrawn following concerns about folk in America and the UK having mini strokes and suffering the same side effects that had happend to Dad.
Our GP, in his wisdom, would not refer Dad for a brain scan so Mum and Dad had to pay for a private consultation: the scan confirmed that Dad's brain had been affected and follwing other tests it was also confirmed that he had early onset multi-infarcta dementia. The consultant then referred Dad back to the NHS because he was then able to see him as an NHS patient rather than as a private one due to a diagnosis having been made: he stated that he felt that the dementia was hastened, if not brought on by the Arcoxia and that the GP should have been aware that concerns were high in the medical profession about it when he prescribed it. Since then the NHS care has been fantastic: Dad has been referred to a superb geriatric psychiatrist and he has a care co-ordinator.
Dad is in denial about the diagnosis: he has always dreaded the idea of not being able to look after himself or of 'losing his mind' as he put it. Mum is scared about the future and their relationship has almost disintegrated: they've had a solid marriage for 48 years until this point. My brother tries his best to ignore that Dad has dementia and has distanced himself from discussions etc. We're all in a state of chaos really.
I'm so relieved to have found this forum and reading other people's postings has helped: thanks.
Best wishes to all

 

[Grannie G]

Welcome to TP Taz.

I can see the struggle you`ve had to get a correct diagnosis for your dad, and am glad that part at least is under control.

For your dad to be in denial, is not unusual. Different people handle the situation in different ways, and we just have to go along with it.

My husband has had Alzheimers with vascular dementia for at least 8 years, [diagnosed 2 years ago] and still feels he has recovered when he has a good day.

Could you encourage your brother to register with the Forum. He doesn`t need to post, but I`m sure if he read posts from others, in the Support section especially, he might get a better understanding of what`s happening to your dad.

Can I suggest you post in the support section next time too, as more people use it, so you should get more responses.

I hope you find this site helpful, and I know you will soon feel less alone.

Take care xx

 

[Margarita]

Taz welcome to TP

Dad is in denial about the diagnosis: he has always dreaded the idea of not being able to look after himself or of 'losing his mind' as he put it.

That what my father use to say about my mother ( losing her mind ) & they was my father who had 2 heart attracts & one stroke that affected his eyes was told that he was nearly blind , bless he he show us all he was not , by showing us he could change a light bulb .

Also what I found so hard to handle back then , is when my father would not take his medication , my mother worrying about it so much that she did not take her own medication for diabetes , a year after my father died from another heart attract my mother was told she had AZ .

I was told that due to her not taking her medication for diabetes , not controlling it for so many years , it stop the flow of oxygen flowing to the brain , seeing that my mother got diabetes when she was around 55 , she could of had dementia for a long while unnoticed , till my father died when mum was 70 that knock her for six , then when I push for a brain scan for mum, they told us she had AZ .

In UK they would not do brain scan , doctor just keep saying to me in UK that make sure she take her medication diabetes or she could go mad . so when she went back to Gibraltar , I told them what was happening to my mother and they sent her in to spain for a brain scan

Then consultant in Gibraltar told me about the flow of oxygen slowly not getting to the brain for so many year & what could happen did happen to my mother .

Then I found TP & learn about VD & then the puzzle all fitted in , as in what was happening to my father & my mother because I was clueless back then about it all .

 

[Taz]

Thanks for the warm welcome Sylvia and Margarita.
I'll certainly give my brother the information about TP: I'm sure it would help him.
Thanks again,
Best wishes
Sarah