Martha H

Yes, a very very hard time. In my family we all said ,"well, Mom is getting old, that's all it is." But it was much worse than that. I lived with her so I was the first to realise it was dementia. My brother lived nearby and also recognized the symptoms, but our sister who lived far away doesn't really accept it even to this day. Mom also has lung cancer, and in December the doctor said "only a few months to live." She is too old for surgery and has a heart condition that rules it out. But we do not see any major change in her since then. Maybe he's wrong?

You don't have to accept everything all all once. Why not just concentrate on the colon operation for now. When he wakes up from surgery he may be more confused than now, that is normal. Most of his rationality will come back. Once that is all taken care of, you can concentrate on getting him the best possible care for AD.

Dementia progesses very slowly, more slowly in elderly patients. It will not overwhelm you all at once. Take things one at a time.

Good luck!

Martha