Support and Help

Good Morning!

First time poster here, who is looking for some support.

DH was diagnosed with Mild Cogitive Impairment at the age of 39. He is now 43. He has a neurologist, regular therapist, and neuropsychologist who provide support for him.

At this time, he is still able to work and the condition doesn't seem to have a detrimental impact on HIS day to day life.

However, I am struggling. We have two young children (7 and 10) and because of his lack of short term memory, much of the mental load falls to me. We have tried a shared "to do" list, physical lists in various places in the house, etc. If he has a consistent task or chore that he does, then it is usually completed (example: he does the dishes nightly and cleans up the kitchen). If it is something I ask him to do, he will often say, "I'll take care of that," and it doesn't get done without many reminders.

This has taken a toll on me. I work full time, though I am lucky to have a relatively flexible schedule. I have noticed that he checks out a lot (goes into the zone, doesn't listen, etc) and that affects productivity as well.

We are really lucky that we have open communication and we have a good relationship. I feel like I can talk to him about my frustrations, but at the end of the day, it doesn't change the fact that sometimes his condition makes it impossible for things to improve.

As I mentioned, he has a lot of support and is proactively seeking ways to work on his memory problems.

I am here because I need to know that I am not alone and to find some support for myself. This experience is very isolating and overwhelming at times.

We are located in Western WA. Do you know of any support groups (virtual or in person) that deal with early onset?

I appreciate you reading this and am looking forward to connecting with some of you!