Hi, My husband was diagnosed in November last year, although if I am honest, I strongly suspected that he had an early onset dementia for some time. We were both ok for a little while, about 3 months, then the reality set in and I had quite a wobble, but I was trying to deal with his wobble at the same time. I responded in the only way i know how, by being practical and sorting out Power of attorney, wills, benefits etc. I also took the huge step of acknowledging that I wasn't coping terribley well, and went and had some counselling, through my job's Occupational Health. That helped me go to some deep dark places, but also helped me to understand that Neil is still Neil, that there are still times when he is the old Neil and that we have to make the most of those times.
There are still times when I'm scared and wonder how I'm going to manage, so I'm investigating what help is out there, so that when (if) the day comes that we need more help, I know where to start looking.
I also encourage Neil to preserve whatever memory, skills etc he has left, in the hope that one day, some treatment will come along and help treat everyone with dementia, and he'll be in a good position to respond well. He will never be fully the old Neil, but if we can carry on living independently and enjoy our retirement (we are both in out late fifties), albeit differently to what we had planned, that will be a huge bonus.
Make the most of your time with your dad, and build up as many memories as you can. I've been taking photos of Neil when we go out for days etc, more for me to look back on than him! Good luckx