While everything else is slipping his creativity is soaring

[moodybeth2]

My husband can't clean, remember to follow a routine, and can only mimimally care for himself. He can dress (if I keep his closet on drawer organized), bathe, and drive (although getting home seems to be more and more difficult). He no longer cooks, but still can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for himself and a pot of coffee (as long as its an old fashioned perculator).

He is also writing like crazy. He has always been a talented writer but now its flowing from him. He's become prolific and what he's writing is extraordinary. He says its because he's bored, that because there's no work for him to do anymore (and don't get me started on why he thinks there's no work- he'll talk about that endlessly for hours). He says he writes because no one wants to be around him. He says that as long as I'm so busy and have left him with nothing to do, he writes just to do something. but I'm wondering. There's lots for him to do. Our house is filled with unfinished projects, rooms that he tore down and have left incomplete, major appliances that need fixing (God helpme if I hire someone), dogs to walk, errands to run... but he just sits in the same spot on the same sofa, day after day--writing largely. The time invested in his writing is new.

Early diagnosis is frontal temporal-- is it possible that as the executive functions of his brain are shutting down, the highly creative portions are free to well, be creative?

Has anyone else had an experience similar to this?

 

[Amy]

I dont know...is the simple answer.

But whatever the reason, I would encourage the creativity....how wonderful that dementia is allowing another aspect of your husband's talents/personality to flourish.

Amy

 

[Sandy]

Hi Beth,

Yes this type of blossoming of creativity has been noted in some people with frontotemporal dementia:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/health/08brai.html

Take care,

 

[maryw]

That is amazing - perhaps you could get his writings published and raise awareness?

Mozart had bipolar disorder by the way!

Take care.

 

[chucky]

Hello moodybeth, I dont know either but it sounds like he's found an outlet that he's enjoying doing so i would be inclined to let him go on with it. I remember reading one time that people with high intelligance are more prone to depression because of the imbalance of chemicals on the brain and i also know a young boy who has downs syndrome who can paint beautiful pictures with amazing detail. Obviously none of these are anything to do with dementia, but it does make you wonder as you say that because of his dementia other things have come to the surface. If he is finding a way to express himself, that can only be a good thing and i wouldnt worry about all the other things that you feel are more pressing, if your husband is happy thats a blessing. xx

 

[Jancis]

Hi,
My uncle had a diagnosis of frontal lobe dementia too and there were literally dozens of DIY projects left unfinished in his house and garden with tools, wood and bags of soil everywhere. He kept saying he just wanted to paint but sadly he never did anything at all - I don't think he could and this made him terribly depressed. All his life he had loved painting seascapes. So if your husband is writing and the stuff is extraordinary then perhaps it is a gift for the moment. You must be going through a difficult time with it all trying to do the right thing for him.
Best wishes, Jancis

 

[miss cool]

Hi MOODYBETH , i have had this illness for to long, but i have always been creative , i am at the stage of its the only thing i cane do now, if i am motivated to do so. as for sitting in one place all the time that happens to , untill the roaming starts then you cannot sit down. but sitting doing nothing is ok allso.

its a funny old illness , you can just be ther thats all enyone can ask. hope this helps.

love miss cool.xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[CarrieLouise]

creativity and alzheimers

My Uncle went into a care home with alzheimers at the age of 85. When we went to visit, one of the staff commented on how beautifully he played the piano. I was a bit surprised , as I didnt know he could play. On asking everyone else in the family, no one at all knew he could play the piano [even his own son], he had never played, or even said he could play, since he married my aunt 65 years before, so we can only assume he must have learned as a child, and it came back to him when he saw the piano in the day room of the home. We found this very weird!.

 

[chucky]

Hello carrielouise, what a lovely story, amazing!

 

[fulltimecarer]

creativity yes!

Mum was diagnose five years ago. before that she never like dancing or music or anything to do with it. but soon after she we find out she had AD she started to like music and not only that she loves dancing so we encourage her because that means that part of the brain is still working and not shutting down and at the care centre they keep her doing what she does best.
for the rest of your worries i will do not expect your husband to get on with the DIY he will forget about it. maybe get your family to help.
the occupational therapist told us to encourage Mum to do the thing she remember better. I hope this will help you are doing very well...

My husband can't clean, remember to follow a routine, and can only mimimally care for himself. He can dress (if I keep his closet on drawer organized), bathe, and drive (although getting home seems to be more and more difficult). He no longer cooks, but still can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for himself and a pot of coffee (as long as its an old fashioned perculator).

He is also writing like crazy. He has always been a talented writer but now its flowing from him. He's become prolific and what he's writing is extraordinary. He says its because he's bored, that because there's no work for him to do anymore (and don't get me started on why he thinks there's no work- he'll talk about that endlessly for hours). He says he writes because no one wants to be around him. He says that as long as I'm so busy and have left him with nothing to do, he writes just to do something. but I'm wondering. There's lots for him to do. Our house is filled with unfinished projects, rooms that he tore down and have left incomplete, major appliances that need fixing (God helpme if I hire someone), dogs to walk, errands to run... but he just sits in the same spot on the same sofa, day after day--writing largely. The time invested in his writing is new.

Early diagnosis is frontal temporal-- is it possible that as the executive functions of his brain are shutting down, the highly creative portions are free to well, be creative?

Has anyone else had an experience similar to this?

 

[creativesarah]

Hi Moody Beth
sorry the jobs around the house arent getting done but how wonderful that out of such a negative thing as dementia such a posoitive creativity is happening.
I have vascular dementia and concentrate on being creative like Miss cool as much as I can i find it really theraputic
hope you will find you can embrace the creativity and get things done too.
Its a long standing story that I need to tidy my bedroom but amongst all the chaos creativity happens
Lots of support Sarah

 

[K Boy]

Hi

I'm a sufferer and can recognize myself in your description of your husband - except I read instead of write. I completely understand the left over jobs around the house. I used to be very active around the house, having renovated our old cottage with my wife. We also run two small businesses together, and have done the forty years of our married life.
The trouble is now, that when I try to do something simple, like run a cable neatly along skirting board, I can't seem to get it right. First, I make dozens of trips to get a screw, screwdriver, wire, pliers, where did I put any of the above, why did I get the above etc etc. I have to keep reminding myself of the job at hand, and the natural sequence of doing even simple jobs now demand a real list of things to do in order. Trouble is I can't remember any kind of list. I hate this, and know I appear distant and removed from my wonderful wife. I think this is the worst part of AD so far, that I can't perform, and can't show the affection as easily as I've always felt it. Knowing worse is to come doesn't help either.
There is a great shortage of Pratchet style writing from sufferers, seems always to have more written for carers. Ask your husband if he can put in writing his feelings - it could help a lot of us to know we aren't just 'crazy'.
Good luck to you both and God bless

 

[creativesarah]

you husband might get ibspired by reading still alice by lisa genova its a story of a dementia sufferer written from the sufferers point of view I found it very helpful and it might inspire him to write about himself which in turn could help others
just a thought
Sarah

 

[rosaliesal]

I wish we had done more together

Life does not wait but speeds ahead and opportunities missed may not come back. When my mother in law was distressed as the end of her husband's life approached (from cancer) she told me she wished they had done more together. They had been content sitting around the house for years and years. It is never too late to try. Make those memories when ever possible. We all have busy lives but try to imagine that you no longer remember what to do and what to do today just does not come up with a list. If the only thing on the list is say writing, well that is wonderful and fulfilling. With Alzheimers, that list may not improve, so every day the word writing comes into the brain. We all get bored with nothing to do, so imagine how someone with Alzheimers must feel when they no longer have anything at all to do. They can not hold a good conversation with anyone or concentrate perhaps on TV because they can not remember what has been said. It is horrible for them. You could have the cleanest house on the planet and I hate all the dust and the mess in mine. I like order and a tidy home. Its thinking of how mum must feel, empty..bored..useless, that gives me the strengh to leave the 3 hours of ironing piling up even more, to let the dust settle for days. I try to give her my attention. I am not a super human, I do feel sad, depressed etc. at times but I have to pull myself up and carry on ...then I think of mum and how she must feel. She will never improve, so I must get the best out of our days. When she dies I do not want to look back and say "I wish we had done more together". It may just be sitting in the garden , mum sleeping, me reading...but I am there for her. She needs company, like a child needs company and supervision. It is my job to give this with as much love as I can give but I am human and find myself with self pity and resentful feelings of "where is my life leading". So I try now twice a week, through finding a great day care centre, to have quality time with my husband, visiting the forest, lake, town, friends etc. Then I return able to cope with whatever comes along.Your husband has the inability now to recognize what needs doing but thankfully has found he now has time for his talents and this is remarkable and wonderful. He has found something to share with you. Don't expect more then you will not be disappointed. Simply share what you can while you can and stop putting yourself under pressure. So what if the neighbours see your dust...in the big scheme of things that is unimportant. It is more important to create the best possible time for yourself and husband. Doing so not only helps you cope but will give far better memories of these times. Try sitting somewhere pretty away from home where he can write and you can sit with him and listen and comment on his work.