? for all you knowlegable people about altzheimers testing

LuvMyLilDoggie · 04-17-2004, 02:39 AM

Hi. I've been on the healthboards for a while now but this is my first time on the altzheimer's board.
My dad is 78 years old and has congestive heart failure. After all my pleading and badgering and the doctor saying no, she's finally decided (after SHE noticed him forgetting simple things in her office) that dad should go for the evaluation to see if he might have altzheimers. Gee, I wonder since I've been asking her for the testing for more than a year. He always seemed so normal to her while he was in her office. But at home, he forgets things like where he puts the coffee can. He's been putting it in the fridge for years. His short term memory is totally gone and has been for a few years now. There's many other tell tale signs along with a strong family history of this. His dad most likely had it but was never tested. Poor man couldn't recognize anything or anyone before he died. Now my dad's younger brother is showing signs of it as well.
I'm taking dad to the geriatric center at our local VA hospital for a consultation with a doctor on April 22nd. What can we expect on our initial visit? Will they do blood tests and things of that nature or will it be a psychological profile or both? He was kind of worried about it at first. Now he doesn't remember that he's going for the evaluation. He seems to be not so nervous about things if I explain them in simple terms just before it happens and as it's happening. That's why I'd like to know what to expect ahead of time. I want this to be as least traumatic on him as possible.
Thank you so much for any insight and suggestions you can provide.
Barb

SnowyLynne63 · 04-17-2004, 05:30 AM

I went to a local Neurologist.They did blood work,memory testing,eeg,many others i can't remember the names to.Then an MRI..........All total it was about 6-7 hours of testing...............also,a spinal tap was done to rule out MS,but they are now discovering Alzhemer's can show up in spinal fluid.

LuvMyLilDoggie · 04-17-2004, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowyLynne63

I went to a local Neurologist.They did blood work,memory testing,eeg,many others i can't remember the names to.Then an MRI..........All total it was about 6-7 hours of testing...............also,a spinal tap was done to rule out MS,but they are now discovering Alzhemer's can show up in spinal fluid.

Thank you so much! I think if I explain it to him as it's happening, he'll be a bit more relaxed about it and not get too upset. At least I know it's going to take a while. He loves to go out to eat so maybe we'll start the day off with a good breakfast at a nice restaurant.
My husband, 15 y/o son and myself moved in with my dad a few weeks ago as he's not able to live alone anymore and we were having some financial problems. So my dad is helping us out as much as we're helping him. I lost my job last year. My husband has two prosthetic hips so there's just so much he can do but he does have a job.
Right now, things are going well with dad. He gets a bit depressed but hasn't been grouchy like he can be. I spent three months with him last year and he was a bear. He though I was there to take care of him and he thought he didn't need it. I wasn't here for that at all but that's what he thought. This time, I think I made it clear to him that he would be helping us. And that makes him feel good. We're paying most of his way past due bills because he can't afford to. I've been putting my money into his checking account and paying the bills from his account instaed of mine so he thinks it's his money that's paying the bills. It keeps him happy, you know?
That's very interesting about the spinal fluid. I remember not all that long ago when the only positive way to detect alzheimers was through an autopsy. I just wish we knew that something could have been done for my grandpa before he passed.
I'm sure that now I'm living with my dad and he's going through all this testing, I'll have a lot more questions and I may use you guys to lean on from time to time if you don't mind.
Thanks again so much! Bless you!
Barb