Aa
Is Anyone Familiar with "Early OnSet" Alzheimer's
I am almost 43 and have been a caregiver for our Mom for the last 3 years. She was only 58 when I took her to the Doctor and they diagnosed her with Early OnSet Alzheimer's. It was the saddest day of my life to witness the Doctor officially delivering that bad news to her. I would do anything for my Mom and it is often very challenging.
I know many people whose family members are much, much older experiencing this (although it is unfair at Any age to have this diagnosis) but I have not yet met anyone who is near my age and caregivers. Our Mom is & always has been a very fit & beautiful woman who was blessed with a great figure & looks much younger than her age. You also would not realize she is ill judging from her outside appearance which in a twisted way makes supervising her with Alzheimer's all the more challenging, as numerous incidents occur with "men" .
As you could imagine these incidents range from funny to very alarming w various ranges of complexity & scenarios. Imagine your Mom who cannot remember things, being approached for her phone # ...then receiving phone calls from the gentleman & being flattered...but then the next day when he calls again, being angry that he keeps bothering her bc he is a stranger & cannot remember GIVING her phone # out or any of her conversations w him. The result is somone has to kindly ask the man not to call anymore yet you do NOT want to let the man know your Mother is disabled bc that could then be setting her up for harm. While I want her to have "friends" as her caregiver I have to make difficult decisions in her best interest. Meanwhile...the following week I learn she doesn't even know her phone # anymore....so while I don't have to worry about her giving out her number anymore, the next incidents come when she's outside walking her dog around the neighborhood & running into men in person. In conversation she tells me she met a handsome man while walking the dog....when I ask her for add'l details, of course she does not remember which obviously is not her fault. But, sometimes perhaps there are no details as sometimes she gets reality mixed up with her dreams....
I will continue to accept my Mom's challenges to care for her the best I can...each incident helps me become stronger & more knowledgeable but she frequently throws me curve balls..haha. This seems to run in our family randomly and I have only seen family members in their late 70's & 80's suffering from the disease, but these kinds of specific scenarios did not exist.
I just think it would be helpful for me if I had someone to share with that is going thru similar scenarios of the "early onset" ball game. (although ANY support is welcome of course) None of my friends my age are going thru any parental caregiving this young (thank goodness) as they are focusing on their careers & children, so I feel like they can't really relate - although I know they do try.
I know many people whose family members are much, much older experiencing this (although it is unfair at Any age to have this diagnosis) but I have not yet met anyone who is near my age and caregivers. Our Mom is & always has been a very fit & beautiful woman who was blessed with a great figure & looks much younger than her age. You also would not realize she is ill judging from her outside appearance which in a twisted way makes supervising her with Alzheimer's all the more challenging, as numerous incidents occur with "men" .
As you could imagine these incidents range from funny to very alarming w various ranges of complexity & scenarios. Imagine your Mom who cannot remember things, being approached for her phone # ...then receiving phone calls from the gentleman & being flattered...but then the next day when he calls again, being angry that he keeps bothering her bc he is a stranger & cannot remember GIVING her phone # out or any of her conversations w him. The result is somone has to kindly ask the man not to call anymore yet you do NOT want to let the man know your Mother is disabled bc that could then be setting her up for harm. While I want her to have "friends" as her caregiver I have to make difficult decisions in her best interest. Meanwhile...the following week I learn she doesn't even know her phone # anymore....so while I don't have to worry about her giving out her number anymore, the next incidents come when she's outside walking her dog around the neighborhood & running into men in person. In conversation she tells me she met a handsome man while walking the dog....when I ask her for add'l details, of course she does not remember which obviously is not her fault. But, sometimes perhaps there are no details as sometimes she gets reality mixed up with her dreams....
I will continue to accept my Mom's challenges to care for her the best I can...each incident helps me become stronger & more knowledgeable but she frequently throws me curve balls..haha. This seems to run in our family randomly and I have only seen family members in their late 70's & 80's suffering from the disease, but these kinds of specific scenarios did not exist.
I just think it would be helpful for me if I had someone to share with that is going thru similar scenarios of the "early onset" ball game. (although ANY support is welcome of course) None of my friends my age are going thru any parental caregiving this young (thank goodness) as they are focusing on their careers & children, so I feel like they can't really relate - although I know they do try.
COMMUNITY LEADER
i can relate sad to say. my mom got it when she was 59 things started to happen, shes now 70 and pretty much into it ,
she cant remember anything like a phone/address anymore she dont remember having 4 daughters, she lives with me and knows me most of the time, but tells my dad the little girl who lives up-stairs, cant remember my name.
she thinks my dad is her dad most the time and forgets sghe lives in my house. its a sad sad thing to see the one who you look to for protect and care go down. now we are the mother they are our kid.
my mother has always been a very very clean person, but now shes cant control her bathroom business and its a mess to have to clean up, shes in depends now and that so sad for her. i have to help bathe her and dress her , if she dresses she wears them inside out or back wards.
i have learn to not disagree unless its going to hurt her , if my mom tells me she talk to her mom i do not say no mom your moms been dead a long time. i just go with it, it only hurts her again and really confuses her worse, so just go along with her , it hurts nothing and if you are always telling her no thats not right she will feel lower than she already does.
i love my mom so much , she gave me life to so goodcare of me and now is my time, my other three sisters donot help with her and my dad well he just dont understand why she does the thingsshe dose he has no pataintes for it so i care for her most. as i see her face fade to sadness it breake my heart, she looks like shes looking throught me most the time but i always hug on her .tell her how much i love her, i know there will come a day i will not have her with me. its hard veing a care giver but even harder when its your own mother. God bless you for loving your mom and helping her get throught this time of her life. here if you want to talk. Barbara
she cant remember anything like a phone/address anymore she dont remember having 4 daughters, she lives with me and knows me most of the time, but tells my dad the little girl who lives up-stairs, cant remember my name.
she thinks my dad is her dad most the time and forgets sghe lives in my house. its a sad sad thing to see the one who you look to for protect and care go down. now we are the mother they are our kid.
my mother has always been a very very clean person, but now shes cant control her bathroom business and its a mess to have to clean up, shes in depends now and that so sad for her. i have to help bathe her and dress her , if she dresses she wears them inside out or back wards.
i have learn to not disagree unless its going to hurt her , if my mom tells me she talk to her mom i do not say no mom your moms been dead a long time. i just go with it, it only hurts her again and really confuses her worse, so just go along with her , it hurts nothing and if you are always telling her no thats not right she will feel lower than she already does.
i love my mom so much , she gave me life to so goodcare of me and now is my time, my other three sisters donot help with her and my dad well he just dont understand why she does the thingsshe dose he has no pataintes for it so i care for her most. as i see her face fade to sadness it breake my heart, she looks like shes looking throught me most the time but i always hug on her .tell her how much i love her, i know there will come a day i will not have her with me. its hard veing a care giver but even harder when its your own mother. God bless you for loving your mom and helping her get throught this time of her life. here if you want to talk. Barbara
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Alzheimer's Disease Community
Could our telomeres hold the key to curing cancer and preventing aging? Learn more in this article from Missouri Medicine.
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
How to lower your heart attack risk.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Protect against the leading cause of blindness in older adults
Keep your bones strong and healthy for life
