does anyone else?

[JackMac]

.........have worries about also going down the dementia road themselves?

I'm not sure if it's because I am more sensitive to this condition as mum has it but I worry everytime I get something wrong now! I feel like I'm more forgetful lately. Sometimes I cannot remember what I was talking about 5 minutes ago. I have felt very stressed lately so hopefully it's just that!
Yesterday I brought my 4 year old to his new school and thought there was a child there from his present nursery (not one I know well) but when we went over the mum said he doesn't go there. This is the kind of thing my mum does
However, my son actually said the boys name too so he must have looked like him! Am I just trying to convince myself or do I have a problem too?!
I'm only 39 so it's unlikely but I am starting to worry. The only thing that reassures me is that I've seen other posts like this here before.

Do you think it's just because we are more sensitive to the condition or should I go see my doctor? Do any of you worry about the same thing?

jackmac

 

[kazza73]

Yes! It worries me too. I'm 37 and my mum at this stage showed no signs of anything at all, she was healthy, had a very active mind and was full of life. I look at her now at 63 and she no longer even looks like the same woman, dementia has stolen my mum!

I live for the moment now. It does worry me what lies ahead but there isn't much I can do about it. I would hope if I did show any early signs that I would get checked out earlier, mum hid things and was in denial for a long time + when eventually she went to the doctors things were pretty bad.

 

[sussexsue]

For me it is not so much if, but when. My family are fortunate with no history of heart disease or cancer, but so many of them have succumbed to dementia. Mind you they all lived to their mid 80s so maybe that is why.

I have always had a bad memory and often wonder if "this is it". But I tend to be a glass half full person and enjoy life as much as possible.

 

[kd7279]

You can take a basic test on line. Go to www.foodforthebrain.org and follow the links to the test.
Keith

 

[sussexsue]

You can take a basic test on line. Go to www.foodforthebrain.org and follow the links to the test.
Keith

think I will pass on that one, might not like the results

 

[VickyH]

Im only 26 and my dad was diagnosed with early onset dementia at the age of 50 and i think this myself all the time. My memory used to be fantastic, but now its shocking, and i often find myself 'recognising' someone that i dont even know, and the question, "am i getting it?" is the first thing that pops into my head! But i seriously think that a lot of it is down to the stress of the situation that were going through as im living with him as his full time carer, but stress can bring on similar symptoms to dementia. I just think that theres so much going on in my mind that its completely scrambled.

On the other hand i do like to think that im precautios, and if it did start to worry me too much i would go see the doctor, the earlier its caught the better chance the drugs have got at working, and it tkaes a flipping long time to get a diagnosis in my experience!

 

[JackMac]

glad it's not just me!

Vicky, I think (and hope) it is all down to stress. I'm very aware of the fact that my mind wanders all the time so I'm not focused on what I'm doing which doesn't help. and my mind is normally wandering to what is going on with mum. I need to become more focused in the present but it's hard when I'm so stressed out!

I don't worry about getting it in the future so much because I know that is a possibility and I don't see the point in worrying about whats going to happen in my 70's now. I'm more worried about early onset I think cos of my memory now!

hopefully it's pure stress. I need to de-stress.

jackmac

 

[Canadian Joanne]

I'm at the age now where my mother probably started developing AD. Lately I find names escape me, I'm getting quite forgetful and yes, there's always a little concern at the back of my head that I also may develop AD.

But if I do, at this point there's nothing I can do about so I think it's best for me to enjoy my life as fully as possible. After all, I might get hit by a truck tomorrow so worrying about it would be in vain. Actually, I think worrying is always in vain.

Thought for the day:

Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.

 

[Carolynlott]

Yes I worry too - Dad, Mum, her identical twin all with dementia, all aged 83. Dad has had it for about 10 years I would say - I put his down to a horrible accident he had when he was in hospital after his hip replacement - he got up in the night and collapsed, his head cracked onto the floor and he had to be resuscitated. I tell myself that's how he got dementia. I was told my Mum had AD but a lot of people have told me her symptoms are more like vascular dementia - and I know it says epilepsy at the age of 7 in her medical notes (though never again strangely enough). So I tell myself that's not hereditary. And my aunt - well she is s few years behind my Mum's stage but their consultant said to me that I ought to get her checked out because being genetically identical to my Mum she was bound to have it too. She has but it's taking a very different form to my Mum's. So I don't know where that leaves me. I just don't want my children to go through what I am going through with my folks. One of my Dad's brothers lived to 93 had mild dementia - but most of the rest of their large families seem to have lived to good ages and not had dementia.
C

 

[Amy]

Yes I am getting to the age where my mum started showing signs. I have been forgetting words really badly recently, and its scarey. But I am putting it down to tiredness, because most of the time there doesnt seem to be a problem...and trying to put it out of my mind. But isnt that what my mum did?

Love Amy

 

[grobertson62]

me too though I try not to think of it
too busy thinking of all the other stuff I need to do

Gill

 

[BeckyJan]

I quoted this link on a Thread this morning. It may be helpful:
http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=168

 

[AlsoConfused]

Three thoughts that might help:-

1. Realised how instantly my memory deteriorated when my dog injured herself. Suddenly I couldn't remember names and became surprisingly careless. If a relatively small amount of recent stress can do this, it's not surprising that someone experiencing deep and chronic stress won't always have a perfect memory.

2. There's a lot of research going on stop the dementia disease process and to provide cures. Perhaps there will be therapy to cure AD, VasD and all the other nasties by the time we become more vulnerable to these diseases.

3. We know a bit already about how to reduce the risks of becoming sufferers from the different dementia diseases or slow down the development of the disease - eg keep our brains and bodies active, maintain blood pressure within "normal" limits, avoid smoking and so on. We're able to exercise some positive influence on our future health prospects.

Hope you feel better about things soon.

 

[Jancis]

Hi Jackmac,
We are supposed to go downhill beyond a certain age aren't we... that's why we can learn languages when we're young but find it difficult in later life - same with all skills. I think stress defocusses the mind in a profound way. When I am worried I am often finding myself going to get something and then forgetting what it was. So I have to retrace my steps. Like you I started to think "hello is this an early sign?" Now, when this happens I ask myself what was on my mind at the time of my lapse of memory. There is usually quite a lot going on in my mind - as I've been under a lot of stress with one thing and another. I've recently tried to empty my mind of all negative thoughts for a short period of focussed relaxation. It's really hard to do. The thoughts keep streaming in. I think it's important to focus on the positive as Sue says - and I have noticed when I am in a really good mood about something my brain is pin-sharp.

 

[tessadragon]

I am always very scared about what'll happen to me. I have no real genetic history but my mother....her grandfather was an unknown rapist and her grandmother was kept in a home from a very early age, and in and out of mental homes, my uncle on mum's side is brain damaged from forceps delivery at birth. My father's real mother died when he was a few months old.
Right now Mum hears voices occasionally and is being kept at the local mental hospital, trying to talk down her delusions, but it gets worse with every attack (she's had 3 major ones) culminating in recent seizures. The idea of this kind of future for myself scares me so much.

 

[vdg]

yep, I worry about it. My Mum has it, her brother just died of it, their Dad had it, my Dad's Mum had dementia on her death certificate so I guess she had it too.You are definitely not alone in this fear. I am 57 and keep comparing myself to Mum at this age, am I doing the same things etc? It's scary at times.
I also worry about my husband as his Nan had it, he is now 60 and recently his memory has been awful to the point where we have nearly argued because he is sure I didn't tell him something important when I know I did

 

[ChristineR62]

Mum has dementia, and so did her dad. When she was first diagnosed, I did worry that I would end up getting it too, but if I find myself doing that now, I remind myself that even if I do, the chances are (I hope!) that it will be far enough in the future for a cure to have been found by then.

If I continue to worry about it now, I could worry myself into an early grave - probably by walking under a bus I hadn't noticed, due to fretting about something that may never happen!

 

[JulesLK]

It does cross my mind occasionally, but I try not to dwell on it. My father suffers with dementia, as did his mother (my grandmother) but actually my main concern is for my son, who would basically be left to cope with me !!

I actually took the on-line test and it came back as low probability which made me feel better

Jules

 

[Jancis]

If I continue to worry about it now, I could worry myself into an early grave - probably by walking under a bus I hadn't noticed, due to fretting about something that may never happen!

You have summed up so well what I was trying to say.

 

[JackMac]

wow, just came on here and can't believe all the replies! Okay, so I am clearly not alone in this worry and you have all reassured me, thankyou!

I have been thinking too that by the time I reach that age where I'm more at risk, they will have a cure by then!

I don't dwell on it all the time. It's just when I have worrying moments like yesterday, that it gets me thinking. And of course when these things happen I feel so stupid. Crazy as I shouldn't care what someone I don't even know thinks. Kind of gives me an insight into how someone with dementia must feel experiencing these things all the time.

I think it's important to focus on the positive as Sue says - and I have noticed when I am in a really good mood about something my brain is pin-sharp

I'm going to try and observe in future when I am more forgetful and when I'm good and notice what kind of mood I was in. I think you are probably right about this Jancis. I have been very down and stressed about mum the last few weeks, almost to the point of going to my GP but this week feel better so I won't for now.

jackmac