Does my mental health matter?

[Countryboy]

I DISAGREE!!!!!!!!!

My husband has always been a very skilled card player but it did not stop him getting Alzheimer's. Perhaps playing bridge has slowed his decline and his geriatrician is certainly of that opinion. Interestingly enough, it has been his long term memory that has failed him, not being able to recall much of the first twenty two years of his life.

His short term memory is only now showing signs of decline. I think it is a bit like tunnel vision where his world is contained in a narrow space with little reference to other things. Another interesting fact is that my husband comes from a family of bookmakers and he never messes up with anything mathematical and that correlates with the game of bridge.

Several members of his club have retired from playing bridge because they have Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. And believe me, there are quite a few incidents of people getting lost, forgetting that they were supposed to be playing, and just generally doing odd things, like getting confused by daylight saving etc. Considering the average age of the players is about mid to late seventies, there would be a reasonable number of members who could well be able tick the boxes for AD.

The article assumes that people are joining bridge clubs because they realise the benefits of playing but they don't really know that is the real reason. The population is aging and there are lots of people who don't really want to play bingo or lawn bowls. It is also a bit of an 'elitist' pastime so there would be people who see it as a status symbol.

The structure of points and 'masters' awards that form the basis for competition feed into this snobby aspect and it seems that people with obsessive personalities tend to be better players. And the article did say that it could ward off dementia ' but that still leaves the question open, doesn't it?

My husband has run the whole gamut of neuropsychological testing and has several areas of cognitive deficits and was indeed given the diagnosis of non-amnesiac Alzheimer's which I guess fits in with his ability to play bridge.

All I know is that I am not exactly hankering to learn to play bridge. I would rather be outside working in my garden or volunteering with my environmental group. But if bridge keeps him happy and busy that's all good but it freaks me out when I wonder what he is going to do when he can no longer play.

Hi Lawson58. to me it sounded very difficult but I think it’s great news to hear that after a diagnoses of dementia patients are still capable of using various skills they developed over the years especially bridge the only card game I know is snap

Hailing from the 17th century, the card game bridge is likely to have been born in Russia and popularised in the Middle East, but is today widely considered to be the hardest card game of them all.

 

[Lawson58]

I agree with you because all the healthy living in the world didn’t stop my husband getting Alzheimer’s either, academic work, all the recommended foods, exercise regularly etc. His risk factor may have been smoking until the age of twenty five. The word on the Understanding Dementia course is that all these strategies are able to delay the onset of the disease but not prevent it. In my husband’s case I am convinced that it delayed the obvious onset of dementia for about 10 years which is about normal. So it’s worth playing contract bridge if it’s your scene and doing all the recommended things as long as you don’t imagine it can stop dementia because it can’t. If you are going to get you inevitably will.

My husband has also been vegetarian for donkeys years, used to run marathons and has never smoked. However, he has had heart problems for about 15 years, almost fatal on 2 occasions and his mother had AD. My guess is that because he played cards from a very young age, he was 'hot wired' to be able to continue, much like people can recall the words from songs and still play piano well into AD.

His two younger brothers are having memory problems too so only time will tell where they are heading.

 

[Countryboy]

My husband has also been vegetarian for donkeys years, used to run marathons and has never smoked. However, he has had heart problems for about 15 years, almost fatal on 2 occasions and his mother had AD. My guess is that because he played cards from a very young age, he was 'hot wired' to be able to continue, much like people can recall the words from songs and still play piano well into AD.

His two younger brothers are having memory problems too so only time will tell where they are heading.

Hi Lawson58 I agree with you 100% please don’t think I was being disrespectful to your husband far from that quite the opposite It was great to hear because I have and been say this for many years keep your brain active. I have dementia myself for 20 years and like your husband retained many skills Why because I continued using them for instance I first started using computers in 1986 and still use computer, iPad, iPhone every day now also I bought the Official DLVA Theory & Hazard Test for my computer and take I that test a couple of times a week, obviously the reason for that I still Drive so if when I next renew my Driving Licence in September the DVLA request a driving assessment I will be prepared the theory won’t be a problem and it’s all about repetitive brain training
ps I haven't smoked for over 40 years and Never drank a beer in my Life

Have a nice day lovely here today

xx

 

[Lawson58]

If you have ever listened to bridge players dis

Hi Lawson58 I agree with you 100% please don’t think I was being disrespectful to your husband far from that quite the opposite It was great to hear because I have and been say this for many years keep your brain active. I have dementia myself for 20 years and like your husband retained many skills Why because I continued using them for instance I first started using computers in 1986 and still use computer, iPad, iPhone every day now also I bought the Official DLVA Theory & Hazard Test for my computer and take I that test a couple of times a week, obviously the reason for that I still Drive so if when I next renew my Driving Licence in September the DVLA request a driving assessment I will be prepared the theory won’t be a problem and it’s all about repetitive brain training
ps I haven't smoked for over 40 years and Never drank a beer in my Life

Have a nice day lovely here today

xx

 

[Grahamstown]

My husband has also been vegetarian for donkeys years, used to run marathons and has never smoked. However, he has had heart problems for about 15 years, almost fatal on 2 occasions and his mother had AD. My guess is that because he played cards from a very young age, he was 'hot wired' to be able to continue, much like people can recall the words from songs and still play piano well into AD.

His two younger brothers are having memory problems too so only time will tell where they are heading.

He also suffered from “orthostatic hypotension” all his life which makes you faint and had several episodes after he turned 70 and I have since read that this condition can be a risk for dementia. A bit like TIAs or heart disease and stroke. However it’s not clear cut, if anyone should be at risk it’s me and so far I don’t have any problems.