Early Onset Alzheimer's at 49

I'm sorry for your husband .this will be a new journey and it can be trying definitely sometimes.

When I was actually diagnosed I was probably in a funk for a few months until I could absorb what was happening and I have a choice to make and that was do I just lay in bed all day or do I do something and I've chosen to do something.

II start speech therapy almost right away and what they do is they do an MMSE and several other cognitive tests They check to see your remembering things can you name names if they read a story to you They even have a big TV that we sort of work on being able to hit the numbers before they fades It's just that's what usually the the test is as far as driving that's what I took It will be an extensive TV type test to see how well could follow the directions you can follow the numbers you can follow this or that I can drive but I cannot drive on interstates and I gave up my car a few months ago.

As far as PT it basically works your muscles because most of us are when we're diagnosed early it's already been happening for 8 to 10 years usually in that time frame and during that time frame people without realizing i get lazy You don't go for walks you don't do a lot of outings anymore and the PT is basically to help you build up muscles in your hips and your legs and in your arms and to try to get you to walk regularly and without having to feel scared about falling. I'm doing pretty good on the walking I do use a cane if I have to walk a long way like into a grocery store or something and cuz I will my muscles will tire very quickly otherwise if it's just a run into like Walgreens or something I can run in and leave.

As as far as what you can do to help your husband is just to be there let him have his down time when he's diagnosed some people just need to internalize what has happened and hopefully he will choose to live usually we have a 4-8 year prognosis at this stage I'm stage 3 and he can choose to do nothing during that you know 4-8 years or you can do everything you can right now to make up for when things go badly later.

As far as driving if he gets the same sort of you can drive on regular streets but not on the interstate that will sort of you know take power away from him a little bit and and it is really it sucks. Because usually people like us have been independent maybe living on our own since early I've always been in control or is always been the helper and when this happens to those people like me you just think your world is over but it is not.

You can Go out to eat with friends even though it's not brain food Have those moments laugh with your family and friends Make jokes You know at some point he'll he'll hopefully he'll absorb what is happening and you almost have to be sarcastic at yourself you know and not take it too seriously because it's a terminal diagnosis after all but the last thing that anyone needs to do with that diagnosis is to cease to live.

And right now I've actually been interviewed to be the face of Nebraska early on set Alzheimer's If I win basically I will go to colleges Chicago Washington DC to speak up for those of us with early on set Alzheimer's and how removing grants and things for Alzheimer's has greatly impacted this disease as it's one of the growing number of diseases that's getting worse consistently.

If you'd like to chat anytime just give me a message I'll be happy to help you with questions as I can It will be hard but like I said just don't let him stop living but he needs to make that decision for his self.