Ok went to husbands dr yesterday and they said he has a type of dementia but not sure which one. He has to wait another 4 months to get more tests done. They dont wanna start him on anything yet till the know which dementia it is. At least thats a starting point and we know now what it is. But its still really hard to get my head around it,my husband is being really calm about it and not talking about it.
Ann
At least that is a start. Please come here to vent all you are feeling. It will help I promise. We wish you didn't need this site. Hope your husband can get all the help available to him and you. Are there any support groups in your area?
Keep posting, we care.
Gail
The Following User Says Thank You to aras For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-29-2011)
What a terrible wait game for you but I guess it is neccessary for the right meds. It must be so hard on you. I do not know much of the disease. I wish you the best for you and your family.
The Following User Says Thank You to dee088 For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-29-2011)
Ann... I am sorry you and hubby are going through this but glad you at least have a starting point to know what is going on. Tackling the known is better than trying to wrestle with the unknown. It is good that he is dealing well for now and I am sure you both need all the resources you can find. It is a very difficult thing to wrap your hear around and definitely a learning curve towards acceptance.
You are already reaching out for support and information and that will take you far. Yep, find a local support group if possible and hang with us here. Read and research! Sounds like you have a good group of doctors that want to do it right and not just throw meds at the problem and tell you to go have a good life.
There's a lot written about how to care for your hubby but I have not found much on how to take care of you the caregiver. That is of utmost importance and often neglected. You can't care for hubby if you are in physical or emotional turmoil. I recently picked up an excellent book that I recommend for every caregiver. "Coping with Alzheimer's... A caregiver's Emotional Survival Guide" by Rose Oliver and Frances A Bock. It's all for you the caregiver and excellent at helping us find our way through the emotional maze we find ourselves in.
Take care of yourself as well as hubby... get the support and help that you are going to need, and know we are all with you
Love, deb
Last edited by Gabriel; 08-25-2011 at 08:00 AM.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Gabriel For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-26-2011), dee088 (08-25-2011)
Ok went to husbands dr yesterday and they said he has a type of dementia but not sure which one. He has to wait another 4 months to get more tests done. They dont wanna start him on anything yet till the know which dementia it is. At least thats a starting point and we know now what it is. But its still really hard to get my head around it,my husband is being really calm about it and not talking about it.
I am sorry that your husband has dementia. It is bothersome that you have to wait. Here in the states, there are tests to be done right away to find out what type it is. Probably he will need to do some MRI, Ct-scan or pet scan to find out. Pet scan may find out about Alzheimer's but the verbal test for 3 hours (my FIL did it) can also help diagnose it.
For vascular dementia, some tools such as ct scan can help.
Hang in there and take care,
Nina
The Following User Says Thank You to ninamarc For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-26-2011)
i am sorry to hear about your husband. that is a long waiting time. i would think he should start on something and did the dr say what your husband can do in the meantime
Ann... waiting and anticipation is difficult. The unknown creates anxiety because we can not create a clear path of action. Yet you do need to know the diagnosis before you take definitive action such as medication. Because there is no clear cut test which can be used to determine dementia or the type it does take a while to get a proper diagnosis. Beyond that, there is no treatment available that is going to make a huge difference. We want to fix it more than anything and that is not what is available. What you can do is learn all that you can. Keep a log of behavior and incidents that are out of the ordinary. This will give you concrete information. If your hubby is displaying anxiety or other such behavior you can ask for medication to treat those symptoms even without a diagnosis. You can be proactive in preparing his legal papers (financial and medical POA). Use this time to gather information and be prepared for what you might find out and know that the time is not going to make a difference in the course of the disease. This will help with the anxiety of waiting
Yep, it definitely seems like an eternity but it will rush upon you too fast when it gets here.
Love, deb
The Following User Says Thank You to Gabriel For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-29-2011)
It'll be a rocky road ahead, there's no denying it. But always remember to look for the light in the dark and remember to take care of yourself, too. You can't properly care for someone else if you're falling apart at the seams, now, can you? Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it and remember that we're always here, too! Keep us updated
The Following User Says Thank You to GrammaT For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-29-2011)
Hi Ann So sorry to hear what you're going through and the waiting you have to do for the next appointment. I just wanted to reinforce what Deb said - about taking this time to get paperwork in order - you will need durable power of attorney, etc and it will sneak up on you (the time I mean), although the waiting can feel like an eternity
My stepdad has frontal temporal dementia. He endured a year of testing before they could properly diagnose him. I remember wading through that year - and all of those doc appointments (I spent more time in medical settings than anywhere else that year), only to get a name for a disease that they can do nothing about.
Still - it's better to know what you're dealing with, and with some types of dementia and/or Alzheimers, sometimes there are meds that help. Please come here anytime - to share - to vent. This board has been extremely helpful to me in my journey with my beloved stepdad. Thinking of you
The Following User Says Thank You to TC08 For This Useful Post: ann1970 (08-29-2011)
I would like to thank all you nice and kind people for your words and thoughts,i really appreciate them and will keep u informed of how he is and whats happening. Thank u xxx
The following user gives a hug of support to ann1970: ninamarc (08-30-2011)
So sorry to hear what you're going through and the waiting you have to do for the next appointment. I just wanted to reinforce what Deb said - about taking this time to get paperwork in order - you will need durable power of attorney, etc and it will sneak up on you (the time I mean), although the waiting can feel like an eternity
