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"I'm scared, I don't want to die!"
My DW is in stage 6 somewhere and I sense we are getting closer to 7 but who really knows? Anyway, she is scared all the time and every now and then, out of nowhere, she will start sobbing and with a terrified look on her face exlaim "I don't want to die!" I'm not sure if those are moments of clarity but deep down she…
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squirreling
New to this group. My DH was diagnosed with dementia about three years ago. He has been what we call "squirreling". It is when he takes random items and hide them around the house, like a squirrel hides nuts in the yard. It started with his flashlight, he would keep it with him all the time. He started squirreling it,…
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Is this normal thinking??
I sit and read all the posts at about 6am as wife not up.Diagnosed 1yr ago mild Alzheimer I never really read a happy post , yes short term going and confused alittle my question is is it normal to feel that maybe she’ll stay just like this??
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need to vent
DH and I were putting the storm windows in. We noticed some bees going into a small hole in the siding. Before I could stop him, he stuck the screwdriver in the hole and wiggled it around. So now we are both nursing multiple stings and the windows aren't in. He has no idea why this happened. He's like a large, helpless 3…
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Don't want to go visit
Harshedbuzz mentioned in another post this morning that her dad was reluctant to accept help from anyone but her mom, and was insulted to think that she needed a break from him. That's exactly the position that I find myself in, and after delivering her back to MC from the hospital on Monday afternoon, all I wanted was a…
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Dental Care
My DH is in the very late stages of Alzheimer's and it is virtually impossible to clean his teeth. He is totally immobile, cannot walk, talk, is incontinent, and has been a Hospice patient for some time. Cleaning his teeth is a problem, as he cannot understand any instruction about opening his mouth. He has lost one tooth…
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Help with shaving DH
Hi, my husband is good at shaving his face, however he only shaves to his jawline. I do under his chin and neck areas. I have bought so many electric shavers but he says they don’t work. When I tell him we need to shave that area he will say not now. By the time it gets so bad I will tell him we are doing it now, sometimes…
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Not new to Alzheimer's but new to it being my wife
Hi friends. My wife and I have been together for 10 years - she is 52 and I am 46. We cared for her father who had Alzheimer's and her mother who had dementia until they each died at home. Through caring for them, we became active in our local Alzheimer's community. After caring for her parents for 5 years, those people…
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Just need some prayers
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. I am the caregiver for my DH, 78 who was diagnosed 2 years ago. He's Stage 5 with Alzheimer's-Posterior Cortical Atrophy. In 2017 I had breast cancer with radiation. Severe side effects from radiation which have lasted 6.5 yrs. Recently I'm having…
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Hallucinating
My husband’s hallucinations surged this week because we were in a vacation spot with lots of family. Now he’s hearing voices day and night, telling him the same nasty suggestion over and over. Left vacation early today, and had him checked over completely at ER. Possible UTI, but maybe not. It’s been 14 years since he…
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Recently diagnosed
My husband has recently been diagnosed with Parkinsonism and Lewy Body dementia. It has been a few years of hospital stays with lots of different diagnosis. I am somewhat relieved to at least know, but heart broken. It is hard because I'm not sure if my husband is in denial or doesn't understand what is going on. The…
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Cataract surgery?
My DW is schedule for cataract surgery next week but now I'm reconsidering. She had a retinopexy to repair a hole in her retina a couple of years ago and that has increased her likelihood of cataracts in that eye. She still doesn't see well out of that eye due to the retina surgery. She has a bad cataract in that eye but…
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The Mirage of Caregiver Support
This is a follow-up to my article “The Cavalry Is Not Coming.” It is meant to be instructive, without being overly dark and whiney. Eight years into this journey, I am long past the realization that the Cavalry Is Not Coming. I am on my own in the care of my wife with vascular dementia. I have absolutely no expectations…
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What to do when they won't take their meds?
My DH suddenly will not take his meds anymore. He will let me put them in his mouth and then he won't swallow them. He hides them under his tongue, if I look to see if they are gone. What he does is chew the pills up, swish them around in his mouth with water and suddenly spit (literally spew) them all over the place.…
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FTD
Caregiver support
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Hides items or misplaces, things, and then blame someone else
I am sure this is not unusual for many of you. It’s just very difficult when my spouse blames other people for taking the things I know we had. When I try to help him find them, he gets angry or the item can’t be found because I don’t know where it’s gone. And somehow, it ends up being my fault, or he sulks, the rest of…
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Thinks he’s been to the moon
My DH is stage 5. His symptoms have included delusions from the beginning. I’ve posted before asking if others have seen the same in their loved one. Even before memory issues were apparent, he would tell bizarre stories of his experiences, things that could not be reality. The latest is that he went to the moon. He tells…
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Bible Verse to Lift You Up 11/1/23
ALL MY HEART Matthew 22:37 New Living Translation 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ TODAY’S VITAMIN When we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, it means we put Him first in our lives. Nothing is more important than spending time with Him in…
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Is my POA ok??
my POA has my wife down , this was done pre diagnosis, but says if she can’t or will not or unable my two daughters take overMy question is this ok?
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Overwhelmed
I am 57 year old wife with a 72 year old husband with many health issues. I work full time along with being a full time caregiver. My husband is ESRD on dialysis and until last week I was doing his hemo dialysis at home. I finally took something off my plate but up at 4 now to be at dialysis clinic by 5:45am three days a…
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My anxiety and his sundowning
Any caregivers here with generalized anxiety disorder? How do you handle the agitation and paranoia without setting off your own anxiety? DH is in the hospital and is developing more issues with sundowning. I just got yelled at for 5 minutes on the phone so much so that a nurse came by to ask him if he was OK. He was super…
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How to cope with the diagnosis?
Thank you again for the wisdom. My DW was diagnosed two weeks ago with AD. I suspected it was coming as she had a MOCA two and a half years ago that wasn't good but she didn't do any additional testing at that time. Her symptoms were fairly mild then and still mild today. A few weeks ago she went through a complete…
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A tip for urinary incontinence products
When people are struggling with urinary incontinence, some of them might use a pad inside an incontinence pull up. If you do that, make sure the pad does not have a waterproof barrier, or you may be defeating your desired outcome. It might seem like you are increasing the capacity, but you're not. If you use a pad like…
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Should We Move?
This is my first post. My DH was diagnosed last April with ALZ. We are both retired and in our early seventies. We live an eight hour drive from our daughter and across the country from our son. DH no longer drives because of navigational issues, has short term memory issues, trouble following directions at times but…
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Slowing down and eating less it seems.
Just wondering if this a new corner we are turning. The last few weeks my DW has been eating less and less. Up until a few months ago she was eating at least half of her hamburger, she developed a love for hamburgers, now she eats the fries but barely touches the burger. I think she is tired of them, anyway it seems to…
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Weird night: Pull-up on head, pee on me, "why'd you hit me?"
OK, so technically it is early morning, but when I closed my eyes, it was last night. Forgive the rambling, but you all know there's no one else who could possibly understand what I'm about to tell you. We are sleeping on the couch. Foot to head (sort of). Chux liners on his side of course. Mainly because this helps him…
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Abilify
Hello Everyone, I do not post much BUT I depend on this forum as my support. My husband approaching the severe stage is really struggling right now with delusions and hallucinations. This has been going on quite a while but is happening everyday now and sometimes all day long. Our neurologist told us in April after putting…
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What are expected costs for care?
I’m looking ahead, trying to anticipate what might be the monthly expense when I get in home help for my husband. He’s on Medicare and has the whole package, but I think they only pay once he needs help with daily tasks- is that right? I hope to always keep him at home, but if that isn’t possible what are the likely…
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A chuckle about lack of focus
Dear Friends, I posted a few days ago about my last of focus. Well, here is my latest. My dear friend made a gorgeous unicorn cake for her granddaughter and posted a picture on Facebook. I thought I typed "It is terrific." But no.... my post came out to be "It looks terrible." I truly was mortified. My dear friend, was so…
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Are other caregivers having a difficult time focusing?
Good Morning Forum Friends, My DH was diagnosed 5 years ago with Alz/Dementia and is in stage 5. I am on antidepressants (Wellbutrin) and am the sole caregiver. I am finding that I am constantly thinking of many things at the same time to the point of constant distraction. It is so scary and am wondering if others…