A bit lost!
- Thread starter tiggs72
- Start date
Hi Tiggs
My mum diagnosed with Alzheimer's this year but looking back has been showing signs for quite a long time (she's 84). You will get loads of support on here and can post at any time. So many people going through this so advice is always at hand.
Take care
Jan xx
My mum diagnosed with Alzheimer's this year but looking back has been showing signs for quite a long time (she's 84). You will get loads of support on here and can post at any time. So many people going through this so advice is always at hand.
Take care
Jan xx
Thanks both - for the first time since the diagnosis I have found myself crying all day! Realisation suddenly hit this weekend that he is going down hill fast and not a lot I can do about it! Have done all the practical stuff - like carers coming in four times a day etc but every week seems to bring something new and I've never been so physically or mentally drained before!
Hello Tiggs, and a warm welcome to Talking Point (TP) glad you have found us but so sorry you are on this journey, you will have so much support, understanding and advice, from us, ordinary people, trying to do the best we can, when we can
my mum is almost 82 and was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's late 2010, although signs were there for some time,alas my dad was very ill and a lot of mums "problems" were put down to this, as my husband and I were getting to grips with this, my mum in law (87) was diagnosed with vascular dementia, for mum in law there is only limited medication that can help - due to many mini strokes, my mum has been on Aricept for a year and a half and has been responsive to this, alas it does not suit everyone and for many people it can make matters worse, but it does help and if not,there are other medications that can be tried above all, please post when you want whenever you want, I expect you are still so shocked and don't know where to turn, we have all been there, so let us support you when needed. Take care, very best wishes- Chris x
my mum is almost 82 and was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's late 2010, although signs were there for some time,alas my dad was very ill and a lot of mums "problems" were put down to this, as my husband and I were getting to grips with this, my mum in law (87) was diagnosed with vascular dementia, for mum in law there is only limited medication that can help - due to many mini strokes, my mum has been on Aricept for a year and a half and has been responsive to this, alas it does not suit everyone and for many people it can make matters worse, but it does help and if not,there are other medications that can be tried above all, please post when you want whenever you want, I expect you are still so shocked and don't know where to turn, we have all been there, so let us support you when needed. Take care, very best wishes- Chris xThanks Chris - feels so much better knowing their are other people who can relate to this experience. I have been feeling a lot of guilt wondering should I have noticed something sooner - or whether I wasn't ready to see the signs hoping he was just a bit forgetful in old age!
The diagnosis was that of late moderate altzeimers (which despite him being told of he seems to be blissfully unaware!) he has been experiencing night time hallucinations and although I have been told most of the medications are now of no use they do want to try some which will help with these but may have side effects. Not sure what to do for the best as he already takes 10 different tablets for his heart, high blood pressure and cholesterol - so I don't want to add to these if he may not benefit or at worst suffer more! Any advice would me much appreciated. X
The diagnosis was that of late moderate altzeimers (which despite him being told of he seems to be blissfully unaware!) he has been experiencing night time hallucinations and although I have been told most of the medications are now of no use they do want to try some which will help with these but may have side effects. Not sure what to do for the best as he already takes 10 different tablets for his heart, high blood pressure and cholesterol - so I don't want to add to these if he may not benefit or at worst suffer more! Any advice would me much appreciated. X
It really does knock the stuffing out of you, doesn't it? Welcome to the forum and I hope you will use it as a resource, a comfort and a problem-solver.
Caring is just so overwhelming and I'm sure many computers, tablets and smart phones are flooded with tears. I've shed more than my fair share and I'm nearing the end of this path.
Hope you take time to absorb this situation, good that you've done the practical things, and it's all about one day at a time, not that I take my own advice though.
Stephanie, xxx
Caring is just so overwhelming and I'm sure many computers, tablets and smart phones are flooded with tears. I've shed more than my fair share and I'm nearing the end of this path.
Hope you take time to absorb this situation, good that you've done the practical things, and it's all about one day at a time, not that I take my own advice though.
Stephanie, xxx
Welcome to the forum Tiggs,
So sorry to hear about your Dad, he is still young which is even harder to bear.
My Mum will be 97 next month, and has been diagnosed about 4 years. Before dad died in 2008 I realised that something wasn't right, but had no idea it could be dementia. I put it down to the worry of her caring for Dad for 6 years.
Mum was put onto Aricept and it helped her over the past four years, although it all depends on the person, not everyone can tolerate it. Hopefully the doctors will be able to find something suitable for your Dad which may help his situation for at least a few years to come.
Keep posting and reading, it really does help.
(Hugs)
Pauline
So sorry to hear about your Dad, he is still young which is even harder to bear.
My Mum will be 97 next month, and has been diagnosed about 4 years. Before dad died in 2008 I realised that something wasn't right, but had no idea it could be dementia. I put it down to the worry of her caring for Dad for 6 years.
Mum was put onto Aricept and it helped her over the past four years, although it all depends on the person, not everyone can tolerate it. Hopefully the doctors will be able to find something suitable for your Dad which may help his situation for at least a few years to come.
Keep posting and reading, it really does help.
(Hugs)
Pauline
Hello Tiggs and welcome from me, too. I'm sure you will find the forum very helpful and informative, as well as receiving lots of support from people who are all, essentially, in the same boat; grappling in one way or another with various forms of dementia.
Do keep posting, there is usually someone around to share things with.
As far as medication is concerned, it really is a case of trial and error because no-one knows whether something will work until it's been tried, as individuals react in different ways. If your dad is okay with taking tablets (that is, he is happy to take them and doesn't gag or choke etc), then it may be worth him trying them, with you monitoring and noting any changes, good or bad. Good luck, do tell us how you get on.
Do keep posting, there is usually someone around to share things with.
As far as medication is concerned, it really is a case of trial and error because no-one knows whether something will work until it's been tried, as individuals react in different ways. If your dad is okay with taking tablets (that is, he is happy to take them and doesn't gag or choke etc), then it may be worth him trying them, with you monitoring and noting any changes, good or bad. Good luck, do tell us how you get on.
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Please don't feel guilty - it's not at all certain that an earlier diagnosis would have made a scrap of difference to the day to day reality.
And I expect many of us have done the same - putting it down to old age until it was really obvious that it was something more. I know I did with my mother, even though I'd had a lot of experience of dementia before, with my FIL. (Just couldn't face it all over again, I expect.) With him, for quite a while we put a lot of his odd behaviour down to his 'normal' downright stubbornness just getting worse as he got older!
