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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Dementia any answers to this...
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07/08/2018 07:33:58 PM · #1
over the last few years I have been having a problen with my memory forgeting names dates etcand generally giving my wife a hard time over shopping Ill go ut and buy things we dont need etc

Arethere any members who have this insidius thing or have family menbers with it.I would like to know how they cope and any tips they can give with living with this.

Dr McComb is the gereologist here,she is young and up with the play. and the diagnisis is I have the signs of early Dementia. I am 75 In August.

Mind you she is easy on the eye as well, and I think she would have given Jean Shrimpton ( The Shrimp) a run for her money back in the day.. I havent mentioned that to her though.
I am also thinking of doing the deep oxygen treatment down at paraparaumu see if it helps

Message edited by author 2018-07-08 19:36:13.
07/08/2018 07:47:24 PM · #2
Originally posted by kiwinick:

Mind you she is easy on the eye as well, and I think she would have given Jean Shrimpton ( The Shrimp) a run for her money back in the day.. I havent mentioned that to her though.

Yes, definitely think you'll need frequent follow-up appointments ... :-)

You might try things which force you to "exercise" your memory -- I like to do crossword puzzles myself ... I don't do Sudoku and I notice my math skills are deteriorating. :-(

Science keeps changing about which foods might help delay the progression of symptoms -- you'll have to search to find the latest info ...
07/08/2018 08:01:20 PM · #3
There is some recent research that is showing promise in slowing progress of dementia. Perhaps ask the doc if there are any clinical trials of new options that might be available to you?

ETA: A resource for you

Message edited by author 2018-07-08 20:03:04.
07/08/2018 08:17:18 PM · #4
I don't know how to answer this. I had a mother with it, and I know it from a daughter's standpoint. I don't want to scare you, so maybe if you have more direct quesstions?
07/08/2018 08:24:27 PM · #5
There actually are many types of dementia, with different degrees of severity and different rates of progression. So be sure to have an accurate diagnosis. In any case, make sure to have important conversations with loved ones now, while you have the capacity to clarify your values and wishes. Some things like advance directives for health care are best done with the forms that apply where you live. Plan ahead (hopefully far ahead) for what you and family should watch for as signs that it is time to make changes like having you no longer drive, having someone else handle finances, and the like. Not easy conversations, but big problems can arise when capabilities go away without good planning ahead of time. That you are aware of the memory issue and looking for what to do is great.

Regular physical exercise has been shown to help maintain cognitive capabilities and also helps delay functional impairments (just don't injure yourself). You will find lots of questionable advice out there, so be careful to pay more attention to valid sources. Avoid things that make it worse. Most find that alcohol use can impair memory and increase confusion, as can many over the counter and prescription medications.

Many people with memory issues find that having an environment with easily visible clocks, calendars, and daily schedule lists can help. Using lists for just about all shopping, daily activities, and social plans can help. Having those lists always in the same place and always used routinely can help. Getting used to such things early can make them easier to keep using later as limitations increase. Some places can also provide training to family members/care givers about methods that they can use to support your functioning with more joy and tenderness than arguments and dismay. Maybe ask your gerontologist about what is available in your area.
07/08/2018 08:29:53 PM · #6
My Dad has Parkinson's with dementia. There are good days, and there are bad days. Stress makes it worse. Keeping hydrated makes a big difference as does keeping physically and socially active when you can. If you need help with something, just ask. My Dad is extra stubborn at times and when he can't remember how to make a sandwich, where the bathroom is, etc. I'll just direct him to the bathroom and tell him he can't have plastic and half a jar of jam in his sandwich...too hard to chew and waaayyyy too sticky.

For caretakers, muster all the patience, love, and humor you can. It's hard watching someone you love struggle with this.
07/08/2018 10:35:10 PM · #7
Originally posted by kirbic:

There is some recent research that is showing promise in slowing progress of dementia. Perhaps ask the doc if there are any clinical trials of new options that might be available to you?

ETA: A resource for you


Biogen has just come out with a promising new Alzheimer’s drug. We are learning more and more each day. Hopefully there will be a cure in our lifetimes or at least a disease that has been demoted with the effects of new drugs.
07/09/2018 12:42:34 AM · #8
Thanks forall the help.I can add that I saw my mother through her fight and eventual death from Alzheimers.

I do keep active ,walk the dog 4 or so kilometers a day,I walk twice weekly with a small group.
I still read books,mainly thrillers or police proceedures.

and of course take the odd,photograph for challenges .

I am required to take a driving test and have a series of tests by an occupational therapist.to renew my license as i am at age 75. so hopefully will be ok with that
.

07/09/2018 12:55:37 AM · #9
No advice. But I am sorry this is happening to you and your family.
07/09/2018 02:43:18 AM · #10
A cousin of mine had extreme epilepsy attacks in his 30s, and had much of the region of his brain where the locus of his attacks were centered removed to halt the attacks. Unfortunately that locus was his short term memory center. Yet he has learned to cope and thrive. He has learned to cope by focusing on what he lost and what remains and by virtue of vast amounts of note taking and learning how to stuff what ought to go into his short term memory into his long term memory by effort and tricks. Since he started a company. married and has a son. It was not easy for him.
The brain is not only more complex than we think. but more complex than we can think. We all lose the fight with time, but do not go gentle into that dark night. Study, cheat, and take lots of notes. When we lose the fight with physical dexterity, we see no shame in using a cane, or a wheelchair if that is what it takes to keep getting on with life. If the fight is in the little grey cells, keep up the fight, adapt, use what you still have, work to keep it working.
07/09/2018 04:39:06 AM · #11
Dancing Away Dementia
Originally posted by above article:

New research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that dancing dramatically reduces the occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer¹s disease. But not just any dancing will do. Freestyle dancing requires constant split-second, rapid-fire decision making, which is the key to maintaining intelligence because it forces your brain to regularly rewire its neural pathways, giving you greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses. Frequent freestyle dancing was shown by the study to reduce the risk of dementia by 76 percent—twice as much as reading—and playing sports or practicing choreographed dance sequences which had no benefit at all.
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