I'm feeling devastated tonight.
I have the day's posts from the PPA forum emailed to me, and there's a new thread running about the prognosis of the disease.
I appears that the typical prognosis at diagnosis is 7 - 9 years. Apparently for the first 6 - 7 years the main symptom is loss of language. Then the damage begins to spread to the rest of the brain, giving the more typical AD symptoms.
Thereafter, decline is rapid, leading to death, usually from aspiration pneumonia, within two years.
Several posters have said this is exactly what happened in the case of their loved one. In most cases, they were physically fit until the end. John has certainly shown marked deterioration in the last year, though he's still relatively well.
I know there's nothing certain about this disease, but it has panicked me. I thought we had years ahead of us still.
I could do with a hug tonight.
Love,
I have the day's posts from the PPA forum emailed to me, and there's a new thread running about the prognosis of the disease.
I appears that the typical prognosis at diagnosis is 7 - 9 years. Apparently for the first 6 - 7 years the main symptom is loss of language. Then the damage begins to spread to the rest of the brain, giving the more typical AD symptoms.
Thereafter, decline is rapid, leading to death, usually from aspiration pneumonia, within two years.
Several posters have said this is exactly what happened in the case of their loved one. In most cases, they were physically fit until the end. John has certainly shown marked deterioration in the last year, though he's still relatively well.
I know there's nothing certain about this disease, but it has panicked me. I thought we had years ahead of us still.
I could do with a hug tonight.
Love,