Random question for today!

[Anongirl]

There's probably no real answer to this but do all people with dementia go through the same phases? As in do they all eventually go through the wandering phase? Do they all forget who you are eventually? Do they all get incontinent? Does it all depend where the damage is and what type of dementia you have?

Some days my mind just won't rest x

 

[rajahh]

the quick answer is that No dementia sufferers do not all go through the same phases.

butI do not know why.

I wil;be interested to read others answers Jeannette

 

[tomkitten16]

I wondered about this too but it seems that everyone is different and will experience different things on their own journey through the illness.

 

[Saffie]

Definitely not. Apart from the fact that the word'dementia' is a catch-all description which covers many different variations and causes of the condition, even the same cause can be presented in different ways and progress at a different rate. However, a great number of the symptoms are similar.

 

[Carabosse]

When mum was first diagnosed with Alzheimers i didn't know that much about the condition except from what i was taught on my geriatric rotation at Med school, so when she was diagnosed my thoughts went back to that time (only about 2 years ago). I thought i hope my mum doesn't start doing what some of the patients were doing, which is probably not what i should have been thinking, but its my mum so i couldn't help it. Since then i have learnt more about the condition, as some have already mentioned not everyone will have the same symptoms (although they may be similar), or go through the same phases.

 

[tigerlily]

Over the past 6 years since my mum was diagnosed with Alzheimers I have realised that, like most diseases, it affects people in similar and yet quite different ways. I also realise how little most people know about it as well, the favourite reaction was "oh they repeat themselves a lot don't they?", if only it was that easy! Thank goodness for this forum where we can ask questions that don't shock as we are all living, in one way or another, with this terrible disease.

 

[CollegeGirl]

My mam's doctor told me and my dad that there are lots of symptoms common to Alzheimer's, but not every sufferer will display every symptom or phase, and any symptoms that are displayed can be at varying levels and for varying lengths of time.

I am hoping and praying that my mam does not become incontinent, nor end up bed ridden, unable to communicate or feed herself, and with no quality of life. I would rather she died than ended up like that. Is that horrible of me? I don't think so. I want her to be spared that.

I hope I could cope if she didn't recognise me. I think I could. I cope with her nastiness towards me much better than I cope with her nastiness towards dad. I don't really know why that is.

 

[Anongirl]

I very much appreciate all your replies. It keeps me grounded reading them. I need to get a perspective on my fears. They may never happen or maybe if they do I will deal with it better than I think?

Collegegirl, it is absolutely not horrible of you to think that way. I never ever thought I could think like that about my mum. But now I do. I don't want her to suffer or have no quality of life. She wouldn't want that either. I know where she would rather be and it's not here.

I don't think I could cope if she didn't recognise me. I think it would break me. I guess we don't know though do we?

You protect your dad like I protect my children. People can say or do what they want to me but I will never accept anyone upsetting my children! X

 

[Anongirl]

Hi Tigerlily. Yes people who haven't experienced AD have preconceived ideas about how it affects people. Memory loss, repeating themselves, etc. One thing I know now is that it's not that straightforward! X