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Driving issues(1)
DH has no drivers license but he thinks he does. His license was suspended when he was referred to the DMV for a safety check. They wanted him to see a doctor but he refused. I have taken his car keys away but it has been weeks now and he is still asking me relentlessly to take him to the car dealer so he can get another…
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Difficulty with comprehension when reading
I think I know the answer already, but I have noticed recently a quickening of symptoms with my DH, as has he. Last night he was going over the list of what we can and cannot put in our recycle bin. It was two lists. One list was what items you can put in and the other a list of what you can’t. He was completely stumped…
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Medications(2)
My DH is in early stages of dementia and has terrible anxieties and depression. His Neurologist has him on two medications for this. They are helping a little. Now he wants to add Namenda to help with his memory. Has anyone had experience with this drug? He was on Aricept when first diagnosed but could not tolerate it.
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Nostalgia game
This morning my DH saw an attractive woman on TV and said, "Hubba Hubba." I haven't heard that term in over 75 years. I first heard it when I was 10 and asked the teenage babysitter what it meant. DH is 89 and I am 86 and I sometimes think we're responding to one of those Facebook postings of "you're really old if you…
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I need advice please
My DH has started wetting his pants...........not just a little. Is this something that goes with this disease? He just had a bunch of blood work so I know it's not a UTI........When I ask him if he's wet he says no but when I check he is...........I asked him can't he feel it??? He says no.........he's not embarrassed…
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Limbo(1)
Having my husband in memory care makes me feel like I am in limbo. I visit twice a week but usually only stay an hour. If he is with his friends he doesn’t seem particularly happy to see me. Yesterday he was very confused. He had been talking to imaginary people and when I arrived it seemed to agitate him. I could not get…
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Admission to VA Hospital Psych Unit (Update)
DH was admitted through the ER at the Seattle VA hospital on Saturday for psychiatric evaluation and treatment for violent aggression toward me, his wife of 54 years. This is a fairly recent change in behavior and he has been evaluated several times for a possible UTI, stroke, or other organic reason for this change. All…
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depressed(1)
I'm so sad. This disease is killing us both. I'm thinking I may need antidepressant medication. Since my depression is situational, and the situation is only getting worse, I wonder if medication will help. Has anyone had luck with medication (for themselves, not LO) for depression?
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DW rejected by our first choice MCF. My cautionary tale.
I haven't posted about my month long effort to secure placement for my DW because others were going through such difficulty with placement of their LO and my effort seemed to be moving uneventfully. I didn't want to distract from their need for feedback. But now I need to tell my story, hopefully for the benefit of others.…
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Need to Vent with Friends
Hi Everyone! It's been a busy couple of months since I first posted. I've had to deal with a lot of things I've never dealt with before and I'm tired and grouchy. I needed a pick-me-up so I thought I would write a post. You are the only ones who understand me. Usually DH handles all the things I've been dealing with, but…
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Looking for help(1)
So my dw is getting ready for release soon. I need to navigate the process. Any insight in how your process went would be much appreciated, going from a geripsych to a mcf that is what I am doing. It would be helpful to me to hear how it went for others. I started reading some older posts but haven't been able to land on…
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I JUST KEEP SHOOTING MY FOOT
Well DW is still in the geripych unit but the SW suggested that she is almost ready to be released. The first 2 choices have no beds any way you look at it, snf and or mc. The SW suggested a place that was near me and it was 4800 a month, so off I go, I got to meet the administrator and she confirmed they had openings at…
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Sleep Schedule
Hi all and thanks again for sharing your experience with this newly! My DH is in early undiagnosed dementia, probably stage two, progressing for about two years. He has trouble sleeping at night, with restless legs and disturbing dreams. We sleep together so my sleep gets interrupted too. I’ve been trying to keep him from…
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Grieving(5)
This week has been so painful. Knowing can be such a relief but no I cry more. I had to laugh honestly though yesterday when DH was looking for the salt while it was in his hand. He didn’t seem offended. All my anger and frustration is now resolved with tears and regret. Maybe anger now at how the search for diagnosis took…
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End of Life
My husband is actively dying. He was placed on Hospice and remains in a Memory Care Facility. Although I have only posted to this site twice, I wanted you all to know how much support and comfort reading your postings has given me. He has had a diagnosis of mixed dementia for the last six years and he was at home prior to…
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I am ready to throw in the towel again...
First, I screwed up. I was talking to my sister-in-law on the phone and she asked how things were going with my DH. I told her a few things that have happened. Nothing that my DH doesn't know about or I haven't talked to him about. Little did I know, my DH was listening to my conversation. I guess he felt a need to…
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Introduction and Mixed Dementia Diagnosis
I recently joined and thought I would do an introduction as I expect I'll be coming here in the future. In 2018, my wife (then age 60) starting having anxiety and then complaints that her vision was bad. We went to various eye doctors and such. She even had cataract surgery. I knew something was wrong as she couldn't pour…
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Something I learned and slight update
A couple mornings ago we were awakened at 5:30am by loud souped up cars peeling out and making as much noise as possible. Our bedroom window faces a cul-de-sac and I recognized one of the cars a belonging to our neighbor's (directly across the street) high school age son's friend tearing out then having to make a sharp…
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Salt in the Wound
I can usually be patient with DH, because I know he can't help doing and saying hurtful things...but I want to scream when people constantly ask me how he is doing. Do they really want to know or is this like the checkout lady in the grocery store?...."How are you?" and she really doesn't want to know - it's small talk to…
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thinking of you Ed
I know it's a month today. I'm sure it feels like forever--and like an instant.
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Jmlarue
You were on my mind and hope you are getting some much needed rest. Also hope you have been able to some of medical needs taken care of. Please take care of yourself! Post when you feel up to it. Know many folks on here care about you.
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my longest trip
I'm leaving today for a month in England and Germany. Lectures and colleagues. DW is well cared for and both daughters and my semi adopted sister are near at hand. She is a DNR and A "do not transport" She has had no idea who I am for four years and she no longer recognizes her care taker. The rest of her body works fine…
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We're not married! - it's getting too hard
I surprise myself, that this seems to be the back-breaking straw: "I can't believe we are married. Do you have any documents to prove it?" I know I promised (46 years ago) to stick it out, thick or thin, sickness or health; and I feel like I must, for the rest of the family, keep her here, available for them. But god darn*…
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First day of a new phase
My wife changes in sharp phases. She doesn't seem to lose capacity and then get it back, more like one day something just changes, and that's the new normal. This was day one of blanking out. It happened in the shower. We were talking and she just stopped moving and stared straight ahead with a blank look on her face. Warm…
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Scooterr
How did your meeting with the community leaders go? Hope it was good and your wife was okay!
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New links for Teepa
I believe I sent links before but are now inactive because we were using them during the editing process. Here are the active links for our two sessions with Teepa. https://youtu.be/fLZHrsDERyY https://youtu.be/Eh4hN90cO7E
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Just outside the lion's den
DH was diagnosed in early 2017. He stopped driving after a serious car accident in 2013. Alzheimer’s has been a slow steady progression over the years. The last 4-6 months things seem to be moving a little faster. He still dresses himself commando, in sweatpants and a polo shirt, socks and slip on slippers, brushes his…
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Rapid decline after move to assisted living?
My mother (diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the beginning of this year) was moved by my dad to an assisted living facility on 6/20. Prior to the move, she needed some assistance bathing & dressing, and was experiencing intermittent incontinence (mainly at night). She also had a wandering episode and regular sleep disruptions…
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Doctors Appointments
I have been caring for my husband at home for several years and we have been managing to get by. Recently, I noticed it has become increasingly difficult for him to go up and down stairs and for the past several days, I haven’t been able to get him to walk more than a few steps from bed to chair.. My husband sees several…
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Is moving the right thing?
Hi everyone, I’ve been trying for awhile to decide whether I should move or not. DH is stage 5 Alzheimer’s. We live on a 100 acre farm 15 minutes from a very small town. Town has limited resources. We have few friends (fewer as he progresses) and are here alone most of the time. So I listed the farm a couple months ago and…