Have you had any personal experience with it?

My last grandparent to die, my grandfather had it but I didn't have any real day to day experience with him at that time in his life and had my Mom not told me I'm not so sure I would have known, I saw the same lovely gentleman he had always been. He never let me know that he didn't have a clue who I was but would ask my Mom about me every time I left the room.

No I haven't.

I have a much older cousin with it. I also once worked as a caregiver for a woman in her 50's who was several years into her journey down that path. Found it interesting once, as one day her husband left me money to take her to Burger King, as she always liked it. When we got there she refused to go in. When I asked why she said "Because I am not right in the head". Sad.

Both my gf's grandfathers had it, one still hangs on but the other passed a couple weeks back. She's conviced she or one of her sisters will get it as well. I've taken care of several dementia/alzheimers sufferers in my job over the years. There's nothing funny or pretty about the way it robs every bit of you before it kills you. Just strips it away. Think I'd rather die just about any other way than having to suffer that long slow descent into blackness.

(06-30-2013, 11:52 AM)Duchess Wrote:

Have you had any personal experience with it?

My last grandparent to die, my grandfather had it but I didn't have any real day to day experience with him at that time in his life and had my Mom not told me I'm not so sure I would have known, I saw the same lovely gentleman he had always been. He never let me know that he didn't have a clue who I was but would ask my Mom about me every time I left the room.

My MIL had it, (really a wonderful woman) for the last few years of her life. It was devastating to say the least. My better half & I would visit her every week, since it was only an hour & fifteen minute ride away. And we would call her "every day", so as to try keep us in her memory daily. It worked for a while. Over time, her short term memory as well as long term memory eventually became non-existent, very sad. She didn't even recognize her own daughter.
In reality, her mind died 3 years before the shell caught up to it.

Now my better half is getting a little forgetful, and is afraid that she is following in her mother's foot steps. God Damn, sure as hell hope not!

My MIL suffered with Alzheimer's.

I placed her in a home near mine and vistited her everyday.

I moved my FIL into my home as he was crippled with RA.

If those two could have melded into one being, everything would have been hunky dory!

After 4 years apart, they died within six months of each other.

They both changed my outlook on life and my responsibility to others.

Its a sad disease because only the direct family members can see the before and after especially if you don't see them for a few months.

(06-30-2013, 07:32 PM)BlueTiki Wrote: My MIL suffered with Alzheimer's.

I placed her in a home near mine and vistited her everyday.

I moved my FIL into my home as he was crippled with RA.

If those two could have melded into one being, everything would have been hunky dory!

After 4 years apart, they died within six months of each other.

They both changed my outlook on life and my responsibility to others.

You might be one of the few people that truly understand why I'm moving to GA so my brother can live with us and enjoy his remaining years.

I haven't had any close friends or family struck by Alzheimer's but I've had 2 friends stricken by Lou Gehrig's. I hope I just die of a heart attack or something.

(06-30-2013, 10:01 PM)username Wrote: I hope I just die of a heart attack or something.

Boy . . . that really narrows the options, user.

How about Feline Distemper?

(06-30-2013, 11:23 PM)ZEROSPHERES Wrote: How about Feline Distemper?

Her kitty is what will kill her husband.

(06-30-2013, 11:28 PM)BlueTiki Wrote:

(06-30-2013, 11:23 PM)ZEROSPHERES Wrote: How about Feline Distemper?

Her kitty is what will kill her husband.

He may already have cat scratch fever

(06-30-2013, 11:31 PM)ZEROSPHERES Wrote: He may already have cat SNATCH fever!

Fixed for you!

(06-30-2013, 11:36 PM)BlueTiki Wrote:

(06-30-2013, 11:31 PM)ZEROSPHERES Wrote: He may already have cat SNATCH fever!

Fixed for you!

Yeah, yeah. I'll take any of that over ALS.

My grandma and grandad on my mothers side both went a little bit doolally when they were coming to the end of their lives. They still maintained their personalities and interest in the outside world they just didn't recognise people very well. When I used to go and see them I used to be called about 3 or 4 different names in the family, I used to just nod my head and say “yeah that's me” whatever name they would call me.

A few days before my grandad died he was convinced I was his brother John who died in a motorcycle crash in the 1970s. I just went along with it.