Hubby is 60 his mum and Grandmother both had AD I walk on eggshells ALL the time anything sets him off. Last week he parked the car in town and left the keys in it. He doesnt shower and when I remind him he gets cross and says he will tomoro but tomoro doesnt come for WEEKS!!!!
Hubby is cross and forgetful GP says he is too young !!!!!!!!!!
- Thread starter barleymo
- Start date
Hello Barleymo, welcome to Talking Point.
I am sorry to read about your hubby. Can I suggest that if one GP is unhelpful you speak to another, assuming there is more than one at your surgery. It is often the case the one GP will be more sympathetic than another.
You can also keep a diary of any unusual behaviour, many people do this.
It has to be said, of course, that any symptoms shown by your husband may not be caused by dementia, there could be another cause that could easily be sorted. Blood tests are often given to rule out any easily identifiable causes.
There are are many factsheets that may offer you some advice and I will pop a couple of links in for you. They are PDFs and can be printed.
Worried About Memory
Diagnosis and Assessment
Very best wishes to you, I hope you are able to get some help for your hubby very soon. x
I am sorry to read about your hubby. Can I suggest that if one GP is unhelpful you speak to another, assuming there is more than one at your surgery. It is often the case the one GP will be more sympathetic than another.
You can also keep a diary of any unusual behaviour, many people do this.
It has to be said, of course, that any symptoms shown by your husband may not be caused by dementia, there could be another cause that could easily be sorted. Blood tests are often given to rule out any easily identifiable causes.
There are are many factsheets that may offer you some advice and I will pop a couple of links in for you. They are PDFs and can be printed.
Worried About Memory
Diagnosis and Assessment
Very best wishes to you, I hope you are able to get some help for your hubby very soon. x
My husband was in his middle fifties when he first showed some of the the symptoms you describe. Almost six years passed before his behaviour deteriorated drastically and he was diagnosed as suffering from Lewy Body Disease.
I think in a way I'm glad he was not diagnosed earlier. At least we had the next few years with me thinking his behaviour was odd but not serious before I had to face the fact that he had dementia which would only get worse, and then have the next ten years of dealing with this fact.
In my husband's case the diagnosis did not in any way affect the course of the disease. I sometimes wonder if we could have gone longer and happier in blind ignorance of what was to come. This of course may be very different for your husband who may be able to be helped with a diagnosis.
xxTinaT
I think in a way I'm glad he was not diagnosed earlier. At least we had the next few years with me thinking his behaviour was odd but not serious before I had to face the fact that he had dementia which would only get worse, and then have the next ten years of dealing with this fact.
In my husband's case the diagnosis did not in any way affect the course of the disease. I sometimes wonder if we could have gone longer and happier in blind ignorance of what was to come. This of course may be very different for your husband who may be able to be helped with a diagnosis.
xxTinaT
Gp's and their understanding.
SORRY To hear about the problems , I feel the same way, that there is no understanding from GP's. I am in my 40's and have had problems with my short term memory more than long term. But even after illness and been told that I have 50% brain damage, I was referred to a memory clinic for diagnoses . this assessment was so daft that it didn't seem to be an assessment. But I have returned back to my GP and tried to discuss the problem with him, but last time has just made me give up trying to get it sorted. me and the wife went to the appointment and after explaining that it seems to be getting worse, due to forgetting way home , turning gas off after trying to cook and other daft thing ( taking into account , my wife must feel like yourself with me) he kindly told me that there wasn't a problem with the brain, until we pointed out C.T. scan and reports. he then looked at the computer and said " O , yes u have got brain damage". now this is the GP who has been treating me for about 10 years. best I can get out of him is that I shouldn't be able to do what I do. but still no help , advice on how to cope with it.
Hope you are able to find help with either another GP or just by making a stand and tell the GP that you want it sorted , make him refer you to the right team, so at least you have started the long hike of getting something done.
Jeff
SORRY To hear about the problems , I feel the same way, that there is no understanding from GP's. I am in my 40's and have had problems with my short term memory more than long term. But even after illness and been told that I have 50% brain damage, I was referred to a memory clinic for diagnoses . this assessment was so daft that it didn't seem to be an assessment. But I have returned back to my GP and tried to discuss the problem with him, but last time has just made me give up trying to get it sorted. me and the wife went to the appointment and after explaining that it seems to be getting worse, due to forgetting way home , turning gas off after trying to cook and other daft thing ( taking into account , my wife must feel like yourself with me) he kindly told me that there wasn't a problem with the brain, until we pointed out C.T. scan and reports. he then looked at the computer and said " O , yes u have got brain damage". now this is the GP who has been treating me for about 10 years. best I can get out of him is that I shouldn't be able to do what I do. but still no help , advice on how to cope with it.
Hope you are able to find help with either another GP or just by making a stand and tell the GP that you want it sorted , make him refer you to the right team, so at least you have started the long hike of getting something done.
Jeff
Memory Assessment Services
This will not be much help to you, Bartlett27 - sorry - but may be to others reading your comment. My wife was referred to our local Memory Assessment Centre (albeit after some persistence) where she was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, with a follow-up after 12 months. I was very impressed with the service we got from our MAS, both in the process of the assessment and in follow-up support, even though there was no dementia diagnosis. No doubt MASs vary in different places, but I wouldn't want anyone with memory problems to be put off a MAS because of your comment. I also wonder whether MASs are a relatively new thing that may come to pass as part of the re-organistion of health and social care taking place at present, and therefore, even if one has had a poor experience in the past, it may be worth trying again.
This will not be much help to you, Bartlett27 - sorry - but may be to others reading your comment. My wife was referred to our local Memory Assessment Centre (albeit after some persistence) where she was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, with a follow-up after 12 months. I was very impressed with the service we got from our MAS, both in the process of the assessment and in follow-up support, even though there was no dementia diagnosis. No doubt MASs vary in different places, but I wouldn't want anyone with memory problems to be put off a MAS because of your comment. I also wonder whether MASs are a relatively new thing that may come to pass as part of the re-organistion of health and social care taking place at present, and therefore, even if one has had a poor experience in the past, it may be worth trying again.
