Thank you again for everyone's replies to my posting. I am finding this website so helpful in understanding and coming to terms with my husband's diagnosis albeit it early days yet. To answer Becky Jan, yes we do have a diagnosis of AD following a SPECT scan.
I spoke with the doctor this week and asked if we should try and tell my husband of his problem in the most sensitive way possible. We decided not at the moment because of the risk of his becoming more depressed. Part of me thinks that, as an intelligent man, he must still be trying to work out what the heck is wrong with him and that it would be kinder to tell at least something. But then I wonder if he actually has insight now. His visual/spatial difficulties are profound, so too his short term memory loss and ability to orientate himself around the ward. Do people with AD continue to have insight into their problems or do those insights disappear and, if they do, when does that happen? I suspect there are no simple answers to that.
But I have had a lovely day with him today. Yesterday there was a glimmer of his returning to feed himself when he picked up a mousse pot and ate the contents without any prompting or assistance. Today I wondered if I might be able to go that little bit further. I poured his soup into a bowl, put the spoon beside the bowl and he picked it up and ate everything. Now it might not be anyone else's highlight of the day, but seeing him tip the bowl and make sure he had eaten every last drop whilst I sat back, relaxed and watched was wonderful. And yes, he ate all his ice cream for himself too. I asked if he wanted a big or little spoon for his ice cream and, for the first time in ages, he made a decision - and quickly. The little one. It might all go awry tomorrow but today was good.
I spoke with the doctor this week and asked if we should try and tell my husband of his problem in the most sensitive way possible. We decided not at the moment because of the risk of his becoming more depressed. Part of me thinks that, as an intelligent man, he must still be trying to work out what the heck is wrong with him and that it would be kinder to tell at least something. But then I wonder if he actually has insight now. His visual/spatial difficulties are profound, so too his short term memory loss and ability to orientate himself around the ward. Do people with AD continue to have insight into their problems or do those insights disappear and, if they do, when does that happen? I suspect there are no simple answers to that.
But I have had a lovely day with him today. Yesterday there was a glimmer of his returning to feed himself when he picked up a mousse pot and ate the contents without any prompting or assistance. Today I wondered if I might be able to go that little bit further. I poured his soup into a bowl, put the spoon beside the bowl and he picked it up and ate everything. Now it might not be anyone else's highlight of the day, but seeing him tip the bowl and make sure he had eaten every last drop whilst I sat back, relaxed and watched was wonderful. And yes, he ate all his ice cream for himself too. I asked if he wanted a big or little spoon for his ice cream and, for the first time in ages, he made a decision - and quickly. The little one. It might all go awry tomorrow but today was good.