Ask the doctors to do more than give you more than this vague non diagnosis.
When my mom had an MRI I was told her scan "lit up like a Christmas tree". At that point she had no dementia but had been having TIAs, when I asked what that meant all I was told was "lots of little bleeds" which in itself was erroneous and had me believing she was having hemorrhagic strokes vs the more common vascular occlusions. Nobody EVER mentioned the possibility of dementia. All you know now is what she doesn't have, make them explain what this means for today and the future - Joann's recommendation about doing your homework so you know what to ask is a good one.
It just rules vascular Dementia out. So there is another type at play. Actually ALZ is under the Dementia umbrella but is really much different than other Dementias. For now, Drs can only guess if ALZ is the problem. An autopsy is the only way to confirm it.
A nurse once explain to me what ALZ is. Take you fingers of each hand, and make a tic tac like board with them. Thats the pathways of the brain. Joined together memories continue to flow. Now lift one set of fingers up, this is ALZ, the pathways are no longer connected and either is the ability to remember short-term and eventually, long term. Eventually tangles happen. Thats what makes ALZ so different from other dementias. Another thing the Nurse said...
Dementia...knowing its a stove but not remembering how to use it. ALZ...forgetting its a stove.
Sue, I would guess that means her veins in the brain ARE NOT damaged, that's what vascular dementia means.
I would look at Mayos website about the different types of dementia. It will help you gather information to ask her doctor better questions to help you understand.
When my mom had an MRI I was told her scan "lit up like a Christmas tree". At that point she had no dementia but had been having TIAs, when I asked what that meant all I was told was "lots of little bleeds" which in itself was erroneous and had me believing she was having hemorrhagic strokes vs the more common vascular occlusions. Nobody EVER mentioned the possibility of dementia.
All you know now is what she doesn't have, make them explain what this means for today and the future - Joann's recommendation about doing your homework so you know what to ask is a good one.
Actually ALZ is under the Dementia umbrella but is really much different than other Dementias. For now, Drs can only guess if ALZ is the problem. An autopsy is the only way to confirm it.
A nurse once explain to me what ALZ is. Take you fingers of each hand, and make a tic tac like board with them. Thats the pathways of the brain. Joined together memories continue to flow. Now lift one set of fingers up, this is ALZ, the pathways are no longer connected and either is the ability to remember short-term and eventually, long term. Eventually tangles happen. Thats what makes ALZ so different from other dementias. Another thing the Nurse said...
Dementia...knowing its a stove but not remembering how to use it.
ALZ...forgetting its a stove.
I would look at Mayos website about the different types of dementia. It will help you gather information to ask her doctor better questions to help you understand.