Our mailbox relocated itself...

Belle · 11:52AM

Occasionally (or maybe frequently) I like to pretend everything is normal and then something very strange happens that snaps me back to reality. Last week it was DH calling me to tell me that he went to get our mail and that someone had removed our mailbox and reattached it in a new location. After a few minutes of me trying to make sense of what he was saying I asked him to look at the name/address on the mail he had taken from the box. It wasn't ours. He continued to insist that someone moved our mailbox but he was able to later go back and return the neighbors mail and find ours. Our mailbox has been in the same location for 25 years. He's never been disoriented like that before and since then he seems back to 'normal'. Could that incident be a sign of a downturn or just a random brain fart?

charley0419 · 2:54PM

My wife doing a couple of odd things like that recently also, forgetting more and asking odd questions then she’s fine. My diagnosed about 3 yrs ago

RetiredTeacher · 3:10PM

We were in our driveway the other day and my DH told me to open the garage door. I explained i didnt have the remote and he insisted i did. I told him to show me where he saw it. He pointed to the truck key fob and kept insisting the fob also opened the garage. door. First time he had misidentified an object but he has also started forgetting things we talked about 5 min earlier. He is obviously progressing.

Maru · 3:22PM

TY for sharing. I vacillate between believing DH has ALZ and this is normal aging. He actually does have the diagnosis of ALZ but so much of the time he is pretty much normal…until he slips. The garage door fob confusion reminded me of when DH insisted the TV remote was ringing and he couldn't figure out how to answer it, and then he was all normal again. Does anyone else feel like they are making a mountain out of a molehill?

trottingalong · 3:44PM

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/264238#Comment_264238

This is very common and confusing for those of us seeing it and dealing with it. My husband would appear to be doing quite well and then something like you described would happen. But ever so slowly for us, those little things became more pronounced and showed itself on a regular basis. The tv remote controls were a big obstacle. Sometimes he had absolutely no problem navigating around the different apps. Now he can’t figure out anything with remote controls and the tv is nothing but a box of confusion.

mdlstone · 4:02PM

It sounds from these comments like your DS's are in around the same stage of dementia as my DH (moderate dementia). it's hard for me because I have to accept that I don't share any kind of reality with him anymore. I'm lucky in that I have two daughters who are both interested in supporting us both but I've been thinking of going back to weekly therapy if I can find someone who specializes in this field of caregiver support.

beachwalker5 · 4:24PM

….using her cell phone calculator to try to make a call….asking "how do I call my daughter on this?" when she's looking at text messages…..trying to write an email on her iPad when she's on her web browser….technology (cell phones, iPads, laptops, atm machines, self-serve check-outs at stores) seems to be a daily cognition tester/ stressor. Despite the daily frustration, I suspect it's probably still better for my DW to keep trying to use these devices than to give up and stare at the wall all day…

PS: I've programmed her iPhone to be in "assistive access" mode ("grandma mode" with only four apps showing on a single Home Screen) but she still struggles with it.

Chance Rider · 4:58PM

Lately my husband has been confusing the tv remote for his phone. And sometimes standing and staring off into space. So far though no one’s moved our mailbox.

@beachwalker5 thanks for mentioning assistive access. Going to check it out for my husband’s phone.

RetiredTeacher · 6:48PM

It helps tp know there are others dealing with similar things and this is "normal" for this stage of the disease. I try to have my husband do what he can, while he still can. His physical health is declining at a faster rate than his cognitive health. Static standing, walking more than a short ways is tough due to leg weakness but he still gets to the bathroom and makes his sandwich everyday. I wonder how long he will still have his mobility....Anybody in a similar situation?

Our mailbox relocated itself...

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