Our Grim Situation

[maplesky7]

My soul greives along with you Ninjapoodles. I offer your family up in prayer that you all may recieve some answers along with treatment possibilities in Jesus's name we pray for healing, strength and patience while this family has to suffer and endure...bring hope and peace to them all. Amen.

Love in Christ,
Gretch

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Oh Gods. I am so sorry.

Hopefully with the MRI will come some answers.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

So sorry you are going through this; keeping you in our thoughts & prayers here as well.

 

[WingingIt]

I'm new here so you don't know me, but your blog brought me to tears and I'm praying hard. For the doctors to find out what's causing it and for it to be something easily controlled with meds. Lots of prayers coming.

 

[JennsPeeps]

You and your family have been very much present in my thoughts.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Thanks again to everyone for their kind thoughts and suggestions. We have a long list of things to ask about when all the test results are in. I know there are people younger than my husband who've suffered from early-onset Alzheimer's, and I'm trying to recall if the neuro dismissed that possibility out of hand, or just downplayed its likeliness.

We do have him on whopping doses of fish oil, coconut oil, and coQ10, for now. Some days are better than others.

 

[mwdh1]

My thoughts are with you

 

[Judy]

http://www.alz.org/index.asp?gclid=CJWY1dzzq5oCFQMQswod0iRtdA

Please look into what is available. If it is Alzheimer's, it is truly devastating, and you need to learn what you might have to deal with.

I am a nurse who worked with dementia for years. PM if I can help you. I truly hope this will not apply!

 

[ruth]

I know this is going to sound like a simple, and maybe stupid suggestion, but have him start working crossword puzzles, if he isn't already. They prescribe them for Alzheimers and they work wonders. I know the docs are saying it's not alzheimers but whatever it is, the crossword puzzles may help halt the brain deterioration and help regain clarity.

They really worked for me - almost like a miracle cure. About three years ago I was experiencing what I had begun jokingly calling alzheimers but it got worse and worse and I was really worried. I'm self-employed and only have major medical insurance so I didn't want to go to doc for lots of expensive tests. But a lot of my symptoms were a lot like some of your husbands. I started having terrible "brain fogs" where I couldn't respond to a question - I would just stand and stare and have to hold up my hand as if to say "give me a minute". I couldn't seem to put thoughts to words and if I tried answering too soon the words would come out all jumbled. Even thoughts in my head were jumbled with the wrong words - like I would be thinking "I need to switch the laundry over" but what I would hear in my head would be "I need to switch the garbage over" - or something like that where even the thoughts in my head had mixed up words that made no sense. I was also tired and fatigued because I wasn't sleeping well. I began stumbling and dropping things. But worse was that I couldn't seem to remember things. I was having to ask my husband the most simple things over and over. He would get so frustrated and repeat my question back to me like it was the stupidest question ever and I would just have to ask him to humor me because I really couldn't remember.

Anyway, I started researching Alzheimers and it does strike people my age - I was about 47 at the time. I read about crossword puzzles and started working them. At first I couldn't do one at all so I bought the books that had answers at the back - the easy puzzles first. I would work them at bedtime. They would mentally wear me out in a good way and I would sleep well. Gradually I got better and better at them and can now work the difficult newspaper puzzles. It's a real thrill to finish one completely without having to use the internet to look something up or refer to the puzzle dictionary.

My point is that by working them it forces a different part of your brain to kick in. It forces you to "think outside the box" - words have many, many meanings and uses and it forces you to think of all ways it could be used - verb, noun, etc.

Monday is my 50th birthday and I've never felt mentally better and sharper and more clear thinking in my life. I now remember the names of everyone I meet, even briefly - that's something I never in my life could do. I no longer have the slurred speech and mixed-up thoughts and words. I no longer have to ask my husband if we ate lunch today or any of the other "stupid" questions I used to have to ask because I really could not remember and my brain would be in a holding pattern until I asked him to remind me.

So, it can't hurt, will probably help even if it's only to make your DH feel proud of himself for completing them.

 

[ozark hen]

God Bless you Monique, that was a beautiful post. You make me want to go purchase a bunch of Crossword Puzzle books now.