Hello David
sorry to hear what you say.
Dementia comes differently for each person, really. Firstly, the type of dementia makes a difference.
My wife was 55 when I figured out what the problem was - she was 58 by the time the doctors made a diagnosis. We've been together for over 40 years now [though not fully together now as she is in a care home].
Dementia for anyone is an awful thing to have, but for someone young, it has impacts that it will not have, or will have differently than for someone older. In the same way, things that hit the older people with dementia may be experienced in a different way, or at a different stage by someone younger.
As Inmyname says, if you reckon that aluminium, coal dust, red meat, Smarties, drink or smoking may have contributed to the dementia, then you may want to remove it from the equation. Too late for your wife, but it may simply make your mind easier.
Is there any advice for me particularly on what comes next,when and how to handle the mood swings
First bit of advice is to be prepared for anything from now on. Take care of yourself; she needs you and you need to be strong, and keep a life.
Try and enjoy each moment with your wife as it comes.
Try to make her life as easy as possible, while you can do that.
Don't try to argue with the dementia whan it speaks using her voice.
Sometimes you just have to agree with the clearly wrong, sometimes you have to lie dramatically, sometimes you just keep quiet, or take yourself to another room and scream.
See your GP about medication for her mood swings, if something has not already been prescribed. If there are mood swings, then sundowning may not be far behind [do a search on TP to see more about that]
If medication doesn't work, then don a groin protector for the bad times, and just try and make it through the worst ones.
Always remember, it is not your wife's doing. It is the dementia.
If you still work, then you will need to consider arranging care at home for her at some time, maybe not yet though.....depends on her condition.
Things can develop really slowly for a time, then escalate, making the bottom drop out of your world. So, enjoy things when they are good. I can never say that enough!
The doctors diagnosed my wife with Alzheimer's but I later found out she has not only that, but also vascular dementia. Same prognosis, different rate of development.
Possibly the best advice would be to use Talking Point as much as you need, for whatever purpose - to learn, to moan, to advise someone else, to ask what may seem weird questions, ....... just use TP. There are loads of us here who have trodden the slippery slope - are still sliding down on our butts on many occasions. Somewhere here there will be help for almost anything.
Above all, remember that what people post here is not gospel. It is opinion. That includes this message!
Take a consensus from what a number of people may say before accepting anything.
Use the resources provided by the Alzheimer's Society on the main AS web pages, where you will find fact sheets, and also the number of the Help Line.
Good luck, you have some difficult times to come, but also some good times with your wife, so do, do, make the most of them.
I bought my first digital camera in 1999 when I was at your stage. Never regretted it and I have a library of memories on disk now of our final years living together.