By younger I mean in their 60's. My husband has been diagnosed with mild Vascular Dementia. Do they go downhill any faster than older people ? I just wanted to hear from caregivers or patients themselves about their experiences. Thank you.
ferris1 that was a little harsh and uncalled for. I have Bipolar, MPD/DID amongst other issues & I sometimes refer to diseases instead of disorders & vice versa. Although I disagree that DID/MPD is a "disorder." Everyone who comes to this site is in a place they would rather not be. Most are struggling lets try and be supportive and if we can't be then keep unkind remarks to ourselves.
Just to clarify: Ferris1 has been on this site for a long time, having posted about 2,000 times. Moondance is fairly new here, having posted about 400 times. Both have worked as nurses. Ferris has training and experience in social work as well. Moondance's experience includes psychiatric nursing.
Each of these contributors is caring for a husband with dementia.
In my book, these are two women entitled to opinions about dementia care.
Of course "bio-polar" is not the name of a disease. This is most likely a simple typo or spelling error. Nothing to get riled up about.
As many have observed, we each have our own styles and web personalities. (We may seem a little different in person.) Some seem kind, others extremely optimistic, some come across as abrupt, some are very wordy, some seem arrogant, etc. Over the years here I've tried to see the value in contributions from a very wide range of styles.
Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia and is caused by damage to the brain from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems (strokes) or other problems that inhibit vascular (blood vessel) function; the symptoms are similar to Alzheimer's Disease but the person's personality and emotions are usually effected only late in the disease. Every person is different 'tarajane' but if your husband doesn't smoke, eats well, stays away from stress AND gets some exercise (ask Doctor for advise on types of exercise,... if he is sedentary).... he certainly improves his chances of living longer and in better shape. Stay positive and live well!! All the best!
My husband just turned 65. He suffers from solvent dementia,(was DX 16 years ago), brain tumor, bio-polar disease,just to mention a FEW.....) I have several medical degrees....It makes for good toilet paper when your sitting in the middle of it all! Please feel free to contact me privately. I am also a medical professional(with several degrees) but when your swirling in the mist of it all~We are all in a mass hallucination. I don't care how many degrees I have, we all go nuts together.
My mother's room mate just turned 65. She has been in same facility for 6 years as has my mother. Her husband told me that she showed symptoms in her late 40's to early 50's but didn't get bad enough to place her in facility until she was 58. He tried to take care of her for a year but needed to work to get care for her. In her case and my mom's it's been a slow progression. In my best friend's case, although he showed symptoms for a few years, his progressed quickly and passed within 5 years. As posted before, each person is so different so you just can't predict. Medications, chemistry, it's all different. Wish we all had better and more definite news for you. Good Luck and God Bless
Glad, on that last online Dementia course that I mentioned to you about - they added some NEW info from the original one that we both attended. And yes, Jeanne is right. I didn't take as much notes as I did on this last course but they did mention about the pathology appearing much much sooner than thought. I don't feel like digging up my notes and trying to read my writing but I think the age of late 20's is when it starts. Due to popular demand, they have repeated the online course. I know, they sent me an email on it. I didn't feel like re-doing it the 3rd time. No time...
My take on this is that we (medical science) just doesn't know enough yet to give meaningful answers to our questions. For example, at a seminar last year I heard a researcher explain that by the time someone 80 shows symptoms, Alzheimer's has been developing in the brain for 30 to 40 years!! So if someone shows symptoms at 60, does that mean it started when they were 20, or it started when they were 40 but for some reason had accelerated development? Until we understand more about how each kind of dementia develops over years and what triggers changes, it remains pretty unpredictable for any one individual. Even if we did have a good handle on what "most" patients experience, that still wouldn't mean that your husband is among "most" patients!
I understand very well the desire to know what to expect. Alas, there are no crystal balls.
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Although I disagree that DID/MPD is a "disorder."
Everyone who comes to this site is in a place they would rather not be. Most are struggling lets try and be supportive and if we can't be then keep unkind remarks to ourselves.
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Each of these contributors is caring for a husband with dementia.
In my book, these are two women entitled to opinions about dementia care.
Of course "bio-polar" is not the name of a disease. This is most likely a simple typo or spelling error. Nothing to get riled up about.
As many have observed, we each have our own styles and web personalities. (We may seem a little different in person.) Some seem kind, others extremely optimistic, some come across as abrupt, some are very wordy, some seem arrogant, etc. Over the years here I've tried to see the value in contributions from a very wide range of styles.
Every person is different 'tarajane' but if your husband doesn't smoke, eats well, stays away from stress AND gets some exercise (ask Doctor for advise on types of exercise,... if he is sedentary).... he certainly improves his chances of living longer and in better shape. Stay positive and live well!! All the best!
He suffers from solvent dementia,(was DX 16 years ago), brain tumor, bio-polar disease,just to mention a FEW.....) I have several medical degrees....It makes for good toilet paper when your sitting in the middle of it all!
Please feel free to contact me privately.
I am also a medical professional(with several degrees) but when your swirling in the mist of it all~We are all in a mass hallucination. I don't care how many degrees I have, we all go nuts together.
I understand very well the desire to know what to expect. Alas, there are no crystal balls.
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