Can't remember my DW pre-dementia

midge333

I am in stage 8. My DW was diagnosed in 2016 and died in August of this year. Her symptoms started in 2012. I cannot remember what my DW was like pre-dementia. It makes me so sad. I hope those memories will eventually come back…

fmb

My husband died January 21, and I am only beginning to remember him as he was before his stroke (June 2023) and earlier. I have an especially hard time remembering his voice when he was healthy. The stroke eventually took away his ability to speak in more than just a whisper. I believe my memories will come back with time.

howhale

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/74455/cant-remember-my-dw-pre-dementia

I am so sorry that you are feeling this way. Your path was almost exactly the same timing as my dear wife. She left us in August after being officially diagnosed with MCI about 8+ years ago. I struggle with the same challenge as you, I cannot retain our good memories pre AD. I keep photos of her taken when times were good around to remind me, I look through photos of previous vacations, concerts, etc. to try to keep those good times in my mind but I always drift back to her time in the latter stages of her life. Her horrible struggle is so implanted in my mind that I only hope time will allow it to begin to release me some and I can begin to recall the good times. I hope you too find that comes for you because that is who they were. What we saw and recall now I like to think of as the disease, not my wife. Prayers to you for relief.

midge333

@howhale : It helps to know that I am not alone in experiencing this.