Please!! I need help, i'm confused!!

[chrisk670]

Hi, my name is Chris, male aged 52.
Three years ago i had a small stoke and was left with just some balance problems. When i was in hospital the doctor said i was having multiple tia's and considered that i had multi-infarct vascular dementia.
I had several tests and a spec and MRI scan, the neurologist said i had substantial damage in the middle of my brain and prodominent shrinkage to the frontal lobe.
Over the next year the tia's kept coming and several visits to the hospital. Two years ago my stroke consultant confirmed formally that i had vascular dementia. I then had a series of tests with a neurophsycoligist to test my cognitive function and agreed with the diagnosis. Basically i have had all the tests that i could think of. The tia's over more recent times have dramatically reduced due to the blood thining medication i take.
So coming to my problem........ I have a very poor short term memory and keep asking the same questions about something that my wife has said, forget how to do simple tasks, get confused, get exhausted even without exercise, forget how to spell, if talking to someone get lost as to what the original question was, but after two years of diagnosis i can still basically hold a conversation as if there was nothing wrong with me ?? People think i seem fine and can't understand when i tell them what is wrong with me. So i wonder have i really got dementia ?? Is there anyone who is the same as me or can give me some help. Thank you for reading my thread.

 

[christine_batch]

Hi Chris,

So sorry to read your post. If you check all posts by Norrms, he has early onset and has written so much information that you will find is so important knowing from the sufferer just what he is going through.

Any questions you have Norrms would help you and then you will know from a fellow suffer.

Do hope you have the support around you to enable you to have some quality of life.

Best wishes
Christine

 

[Jo1958]

Chris, hello and a very warm welcome to Talking Point

Your post could have been written by my husband a few years ago, he feels the same confusion about what is happening and worry about what will happen. Things have really stayed the same although lots of things have changed, that doesn't make sense but his abilities have changed but so slowly that we keep living in the same way.

We do have some help now, we found a lovely sitter who shares that same music and film tastes and they enjoy their time together, and I get some time to shop and walk which are both things that he could rather not do now. Anything that we can enjoy together we just get on and do.

Hubby doesn't use the computer anymore, not sure if it's eye/brain co-ordination or concentration or what, but he dictates emails so still keeps in touch with people.

Getting all the paperwork sorted, wills, Power of Attorney forms, etc. was very important too and he is now much happier that they are all in place and he knows what they contain.

I hope you can read some of Norrm's threads and find them helpful. Your local Alzheimer's Society dementia cafes might be a good idea for you, they are for Norrms but hubby didn't like it and there weren't any other younger people there with the same problems as him, they were all retired so didn't have the frustration of being of working age and not able to work (hubby was made redundant).

Anyway, welcome and I look forward to seeing you around the site, take good care and keep on enjoying yourself, with best wishes from Jo

 

[Skye]

Chris, I'm afraid I have no relevant experience, but I just wanted to welcome you to TP.

I'm sure you'll find Norrms and Jo very helpful, and others will come along. I'm sorry this has happened to you, it must be very scary, but hopefully being in contact with others in a similar situation will help.

Wishing you all the very best,

 

[Sue J]

So coming to my problem........ I have a very poor short term memory and keep asking the same questions about something that my wife has said, forget how to do simple tasks, get confused, get exhausted even without exercise, forget how to spell, if talking to someone get lost as to what the original question was, but after two years of diagnosis i can still basically hold a conversation as if there was nothing wrong with me ?? People think i seem fine and can't understand when i tell them what is wrong with me. So i wonder have i really got dementia ?? Is there anyone who is the same as me or can give me some help. Thank you for reading my thread.

Hi Chris,

Sorry to read of our difficulties. I'm a couple of years younger than you and for the last two and a half years have had memory difficulties and loss of cognitive function. I can identify with all of the symptoms you describe. I'm awaiting outcome of an MRI as part of a neurological assessment, I have suffered severe migraine for about 20 years which has become worse over time. I went to the GP saying 'this is like having dementia'. The most frustrating is I can't follow any meaningful plan of action for long because I forget or lose concentration. My symptoms are very variable and some days ,although not so frequent at the moment, it is as if nothing is wrong. My energy levels are non existent and I often sleep or cannot wake up.

I think the thing is with dementia, it's not like say appendicitis which can be diagnosed and dealt with, but is more about a set of symptoms that someone experiences due to change in the blood flow to parts of the brain. That blood flow can be changed and as you say you have improved because of the blood thinners.

The biggest challenge I find is trying to accept these changes and adapt to how they affect my life. I'm sure you get frustrated and find that if you try and remember something and it doesn't 'come back' it is upsetting, if you can accept it and let it pass then it reduces anxiety levels. I'm talking to myself as I write this as I know this is far easier said than done and the changes in my life are phenomenal and it's like climbing a different mountain every day at the moment.

I don't know if anything I've written helps you , but no, you're not alone and I hope you find support and understanding on here which I'm sure you will.

Best wishes
Sue

 

[chrisk670]

Message from Chris K

i JUST WANTED TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT HAS REPLIED TO MY THREAD, I FEEL SO WELCOMED TO THE SITE.............THANK YOU ALL

TAKE CARE
CHRIS