BBB's physician confirmed MILD dementia yesterday

@Roberta,

ditto on the phooey! Very disheartening news for both of you. BFN, make sure you tend to your own needs too.

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"I sometime forget a word I'm trying to say to someone.

One thing I notice is that my spelling is not as good as it was. So some words I want to use but can't remember how to spell is substituted by an easier one."

Heck I have had those symptoms all of my life. No joke. Seriously, I am in sympathy. They can do a lot for you today, as has been discussed already. In the near future they might learn to do more.

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@BumbleBeeBoogie,

This might put a more positive spin on the situation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_reserve

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We're both on information overload and will have to let things percolate for a day or two before we start doing anything of a legal nature.

I've been buying and reading books on dementia and preparing for the worst of it for a few years now. A friend has given me some local agencies and contact names as a good starting place.

Mom's doctor said she didn't think mom had the Alzheimer type of dementia, and that it is a very mild form thus far. So, there is no immediate urgency, just preparation and getting ducks in order for the future.

Finally having a diagnosis is making it a lot easier for the two of us to communicate about what's going on and how we feel about it.

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@Butrflynet,

Good, all that, Butrfly, and BBB.

Especially the mild form part.

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@Butrflynet,

Butrflynet wrote:

Finally having a diagnosis is making it a lot easier for the two of us to communicate about what's going on and how we feel about it.

That makes sense.

I've gone through transition periods with each of my parents where they didn't realize they weren't as sharp as they thought they were. It mostly had to do with memory issues. It was a huge relief when rather than having repeated conflicts about whether something did or didn't happen, they finally started saying "well, I really thought X happened, but my memory these days...."

My own memory is definitely less sharp now than it used to be, already, which I'm not enjoying. Mostly, I have to make lists -- I used to be able to keep dozens of things on my mental checklist and they'd stay there until completed, that's no longer reliable.

Anyway, best of luck to both of you.

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@Butrflynet,

Butrflynet wrote:

Mom's doctor said she didn't think mom had the Alzheimer type of dementia, and that it is a very mild form thus far. So, there is no immediate urgency, just preparation and getting ducks in order for the future.

It sounds like you're okay for the immediate future, although, if I may give you some friendly advice, don't leave it too long.

In my mother's case, the dementia went along at a certain level, and then spiked alarmingly from time to time. It was particularly noticeable when she did not have a good night's sleep. She had all manner of hallucinations and strange behaviour.

That's not to say your mom will have any of that, as it's very individual. I would just hate to see you caught off guard though.

I wish you and B all the very best in this journey.

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@BumbleBeeBoogie,

How many fingers am I holding up, or are they thumbs?

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@BumbleBeeBoogie,

ID have a second opinion wrt arterial bockage since I recall you had a few falling episodes and it may be some minor TIA's or results of head trauma (ever have an accident where your head was struck?)

Many of the meds for surpression of symptoms have some side effects and many neurologists have excellent skills in using alternate "Training" methods to help your brain "Rewire itself"

I had a head trauma when I was caught in a firefight years ago and I was unconscious for a couple days after we got out of the area(I was ok till we evacuated and then just went out). I suffered from all sorts of amnesia/aphasia attacks and episodes of inability to draw out the words that were on the tip of my tongue. I was so bad that I had trouble with words like "Bread" or "Necktie" . It was treated first with meds and then with the rewiring and other training methods (like keeping journals and engaging in debates and doing puzzles like you are now doing)

Using it is the key.

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@farmerman,

That is what mom and I started to suspect after last year's episodes with severe pain and heavy doses of pain meds. We both mentioned it to her doctor yesterday but it didn't seem to spark anything. If there were specific portions of her brain that have been damaged via stroke or TIA, that might explain why there is such clarity in some brain activities and such memory loss in others.

On the other hand, I think there is also a bit of dementia going on. People around her have told me they've noticed minor degradation in her balance and her memory for at least 4 or 5 years. The year before I moved here, she was also falling quite often but never injured herself. The only time I know of that she's had any head injury was when her workplace was robbed back in the 70's and the gunman clubbed her on the head with his gun, hard enough to stun her and make her see stars.

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@Reyn,

She already has a will, a living will, medical directive and I'm a cosigner on her investments and bank accounts.

Other than getting my name on some other accounts, I think we've got some breathing room.

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@Butrflynet,

Quote:

As the doctor was giving her the tests and mom started missing answers to questions, I started crying in relief that there is finally something tangible to point at. It validates what I've suspected for all these years and tells me that it isn't just me being overly critical and impatient. I'm relieved that it has been diagnosed and now she's finally going to be put on medications to slow down the progress of the dementia.

Was that the prime reason that you moved down...that you thought her mind was going south and you wanted to be there for her? How long have you had suspicions??

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@sozobe,

You've got it. The conflicts and denials make things much harder.

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@sozobe,

Quote:

My own memory is definitely less sharp now than it used to be, already, which I'm not enjoying. Mostly, I have to make lists -- I used to be able to keep dozens of things on my mental checklist and they'd stay there until completed, that's no longer reliable.

Ditto, and I am only 50. Being a person who used to despise lists at a crutch for the lazy needing them now is galling. Forgetting to bus something that I desperately need at the restaurant or burning stuff because I forget it is in the oven is more so however.

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@Butrflynet,

Quote:

I've been buying and reading books on dementia and preparing for the worst of it for a few years now

My father had early onset Alzheimer's. I read a lot about dementia. This book was one of my favorites: http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Forget-An-Alzheimers-Story/dp/0679452915/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333625886&sr=8-2

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Very sorry to hear this.

Good thing that BBB has always been so active and engaged...must have lots of reserves.

Also good it's out there and can be discussed and worked with.

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@Butrflynet,

Butrflynet wrote:

Well, she isn't one of the average norm.

that is the good and the bad isn't it. When I first met BBB online I thought she was a particularly well-read teenager - so much energy and so many interests and such a fun way of expressing herself. One of my tattoos includes a bumblebee in the design, it's there because of BBB.

On the flipside it's harder for outsiders to spot/assess the changes because of the high and sharp level BBB functioned and expressed herself for so long.

BBB's not average, never was, never will be. An extraordinary woman.

I'm glad you got some answers, Bfn, and that you'll both be able to get some support with the knowledge and the future.

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@boomerang,

I'll look into it after checking to see if it is one I don't already have.

One of the best ones that has been recommended by several sources is the 36-Hour Day.

Reading that book a couple years ago, helped a lot.

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@ehBeth,

Your post made us both cry.

Thank you for the kind words.

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@Rockhead,

Rockhead wrote:

hold your dominion, BBB...

ditto

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BBB's physician confirmed MILD dementia yesterday

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