Sold My Collection - Not About Me - Please Read

[oldjudge]

Tony—My best wishes to you and your wife. I lost my brother in law to AD and know what a devastating affliction it is. May I suggest that you look into the work of Li-Huei Tsai at MIT’s Againg Brain Institute. She has been doing research on non-invasive treatments which appear somewhat promising.

[cubman1941]

Tony, thanks for sharing. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease and really affects the caregiver more than the person. I keep getting afraid I am a similar situation with my wife. Her short term memory is pretty much gone but her long term is still o.k. She has been to the doctor but no diagnosis yet except age related. I constantly have to remind myself to be patient with her short time memory loss as I am not a patient person. I am learning. As many others have said, take care of yourself first because, as my wife keeps telling me, "I don't know what I would do without you." You have to be the strong and healthy one to give her the care she needs now and in the future.

[JollyElm]

This is really tough to hear. Please keep your head up and stay strong for her. You both will be in my prayers.

[philo98]

You may find some comfort and help with this YouTube channel. This is a persons father going through dementia but it may be helpful with your wife.

Dsalnorcal

I’ve been a member for a year or so.

[Trublubrucru]

Tony, sorry to hear this. My mother passed in July of Advanced Dementia after a 15 year progression at 90 years. I took care of her and I found a couple things that can help with memory loss, maybe it will help.

If you still have a local newspaper, pick it up and let her peruse it, reading familiar names and places jogs memories.
Have a daily event you both can do and look forward to. Crossword etc.
Good old phone calls from friends and family always helps. Short, brief hi, how are you doing? gets a smile and jogs memories
The biggest help, and frustration reducer, is a Dry Erasable marker board. On top have the day and date, and then maybe lunch menu, days events, appointment times, reminders etc. It really helps to have a physical visual reminder of things to help the processing. Hope this helps

[jethrod3]

Tony, I'm sorry to hear of this. A couple of things that you probably know but are worth saying. This is based on my experience with my mom, who had fairly early onset AD that then rapidly progressed.

I'm sure you are doing the best you can. Please don't beat yourself up over not spotting the early signs of AD, because the meds you mentioned do not work for everyone. My mom was on those meds, and started early. They did not work. Even in the folks that those meds do SEEM to help, the reading I did at the time seemed to indicate that the delay in progression is often not long anyway. People progress at different rates; that's probably why it's difficult to attribute success or failure to some drugs. But they were the best that we had. Recent clinical trials with a new generation of drugs suggest that there may be hope for those with even more advanced cases, so of course we hope for that day when these drugs become available to all patients with AD.

As someone else mentioned, do take care of yourself (let others help you when needed) and also seek out a lawyer that specializes in elder law. They can walk you through what you need to do while your wife is still able to make decisions. And most of all, even though the disease is cruel and unrelenting, take time to enjoy the good moments that will still surface, likely even through the later stages of progression of the disease.

Thank you for your post.

[Tim Kindler]

Tony,
Thank you sharing this information and updating you and your wife's journey up to this point in your lives.... We all wish you, your wife, and your friends and family nothing but the best during this ongoing, tough aspect of your lives. Treasure all the memories and best wishes on treasuring the memories that you both have together in the days, months, and years to come.

Tim Kindler

[Yoda]

Tony, like many, my deepest condolences as your family tries to deal with the terrible consequences of AD. It is a small thing, but when you are stressed out, think about the wonderful collection you built over so many years. Perhaps a card finally landed after years of searching. It might bring some temporary relief. Best, John

[The Detroit Collector]

Tony,
I am extremely sorry to hear this. My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when he was in his mid 50s. It was very hard for my family. My prayers are with you and your family.