Hi from a newbie,
My mum has vascular dementia caused by raised blood pressure, smoking, and heart problems. It's been a pretty tough couple of years all told. My brother died of lung cancer and as I lost my dad 11 years ago I am now the only one left. I have no aunties uncles or cousins but luckily I have two lovely children and a very caring husband. The dementia has been coming on for about the last 5 years but has now really tightened its grip. Although my mum is looking after herself reasonably well still I can tell that she is deteriorating rapidly. Sometimes in mid conversation her face changes - her eyes become blank and she cannot remember what it is that she has been talking about. If she is taken out of her comfort zone she becomes very confused and last Christmas did not recognise me on waking up at my house for a whole hour.
I find this forum helpful knowing that there are others out there just like me struggling to cope with this terrible disease. I find that my friends and my husband's family do not want to know about it preferring instead to bury their heads in the sand.
Thanks for listening.
Lisa
My mum has vascular dementia caused by raised blood pressure, smoking, and heart problems. It's been a pretty tough couple of years all told. My brother died of lung cancer and as I lost my dad 11 years ago I am now the only one left. I have no aunties uncles or cousins but luckily I have two lovely children and a very caring husband. The dementia has been coming on for about the last 5 years but has now really tightened its grip. Although my mum is looking after herself reasonably well still I can tell that she is deteriorating rapidly. Sometimes in mid conversation her face changes - her eyes become blank and she cannot remember what it is that she has been talking about. If she is taken out of her comfort zone she becomes very confused and last Christmas did not recognise me on waking up at my house for a whole hour.
I find this forum helpful knowing that there are others out there just like me struggling to cope with this terrible disease. I find that my friends and my husband's family do not want to know about it preferring instead to bury their heads in the sand.
Thanks for listening.
Lisa