Alzheimer's Disease

A good friend of mine has Alzheimer's Disease. It is very sad because he is one of the first friends I had met here in Thailand. We are the same age and I guess it could be me. When we first met he was active and always had a joke or two ready to tell and when we went to town for a drink he was always fun and active.

Now I have seen that go throughout the years into a stay at home only person. He has repeated memory lapses and when he does start a conversation it is usually an old story that he has told numerous times. He is my friend so he always will be but I do find myself spending less time with him at time goes by as it is sometimes just sitting with a "non-person". It may sound cold, but he is waiting to die - speaks of it - and sometimes I feel as if he will be better off when he does pass.

 

I think it is often more distressing for the family and friends of someone with Alzheimer's Disease. They are the ones who can see how it has taken away the person they knew. The sufferer can be very confused, but is not always distressed.

People with Alzheimer's Disease need to be with someone who can care for them. I've know of someone who regularly wanders off without knowing where they are, usually inappropriately dressed or even undressed, and has to be brought back to safety each time. Again it is much more of a concern to the carer or family than it is to the person who is unaware that they are behaving oddly.

 

@Richard Paradon - I know just what you mean about an Alzheimer's patient becoming a non-person. I'm only 52 so I haven't experienced anyone of my generation suffering from Alzheimer's yet, but I've seen it in a few of my parents' friends and it's a really frightening experience.

A friend of my Mom's went from being one of the most sociable people I knew to being totally incapable of communicating with anyone. It reached a stage where she was speaking so quietly that it was impossible for anyone to hear what she'd said, but if you asked her to repeat herself, she didn't remember what she'd said. I really believed that towards the end she wasn't living, merely existing.

 

It somehow reminds me of going from adulthood to babyhood, but with out any of the joy.

 

I've sometimes thought the same thing. In a way it also reminds me of the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

 

I agree the effects of Alzheimer's does seem a lot like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" everything is back words in development of the person. I also had a friend that developed Alzheimer's, he had been a very physical person in sports and liked to travel, very smart in school. He had been a teacher while he was working. He got to the point where he had to be put into a home where he died within the year. We were the same age, sort of scary. He did play football in high school and college, I wonder if any of this had a hand in helping him develop this disease.

 

I know of a lady that is in a constant state of confusion. Even the simplest of tasks are impossible for her to manage because she can't comprehend them anymore. Her husband has to constantly monitor her to make sure she is doing good. She forgets what things are called, where things go, wastes food because she opens some and then forgets about it, etc. It is a very sad thing to see.

 

That makes a lot of sense. I'm sure we're all forgetful from time to time. For me part of the problem is that having known people with Alzheimer's I find I worry about it more than I did in the past and start to look for signs of it in situations which may be nothing more than normal signs of aging.

 

I remember being really sad seeing my aunt with dementia and Alzheimer's, and I remember getting even sadder when my grandfather (her brother) got Alzheimer's too. He would tell me the same stories again and again, and I would show interest in them because I loved him, even though they were getting annoying.

I promised I would never let myself get to that point, so I've been playing a lot of chess, especially the last few years. Keeping your mind busy with logical stuff keeps dementia and Alzheimer's away. At least that's what I've heard.

 

I've just finished watching yesterday's Oscar ceremony and I was really moved by the Glen Campbell song "I'm Not Gonna Miss You", which was performed by Tim McGraw. Campbell wrote the song after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about four years ago, and it shows great awareness of the disease. The first line pretty much says it all: "I'm still here but yet I'm gone".

Here's a video of Campbell performing the song:

 

I read about coconut oil a long time ago, but too late to help the family friend who suffered from Alzheimer's. The theory about uric acid is new to me though.

I really wish they would find a cure already because Alzheimer's is one of the most frightening things I've ever seen, and it seems to be getting more and more common all the time.

 

Alzheimer is a doctor caused disease for the last 60+ years they have been telling up to stop saturated fat. ^0 years ago Alzheimer was rare that most medical books had no content on it. With the phobia of saturated fat and cholesterol they even brought out drugs to lower cholesterol which in 2012 the FDA told the doctors to get their patients off because it increased the incidents of diabetes by 52% and dementia [Alzheimer] by 100% The brain by weight is 75% cholesterol and the part effected by Alzheimer is 100% how can you fix something it you have not got the parts?
There is other diseases that act just like Alzheimer, Korsakoff's disease and other dementia can easily be missed or would it be the insurance pays more for Alzheimer. The others are easily reversed and even Alzheimer can be help with large amounts of vitamin E and cholesterol. Coconut oil is a saturated fat.

 

My brother is fighting this. We think it started several years ago, and has worsened even more so in the last two years. He is on some meds that are suppose to slow down the progression, but do not think it is working. Physically my brother was according to his doctor should be on cover of GQ health wise. He was physically active and practiced all kinds of healthy eating. That was his doctors opinion. The rest of us thought he looked like death warmed over .There was no fat to smooth out the wrinkles as dad use to say.
Anyway, does not matter now, as his mind just keeps getting worse. And this brings on a whole set of problems. I am his only sibling. He is married (second wife) and he has a boy and a girl from his first wife. The three of us are 1.5 to 3.5 hours away from him.
His kids do not fully understand this disease , so when my brother makes accusations against his wife, they tend to believe him. They do not understand how he can seem fine one day and a complete loss the nest day. I think his wife does care and does the best she can. What does concern me , is she not accepting help from us or anyone else. And that to me is going to be a big downfall at some point.
I have told her she needs to have some time away. Blah Blah, yet she has said she getting tired..duh . I know some of you have spouses who have this, how are you handling things?
Are you trying to do it all alone? At what point do intervene ?
Ay suggestions will be helpful. He has already disappeared once and a silver alert was put out for him . He was gone three days! I have told her how to fix that with certain apps to install on phones do not think she has done that. And so why would she not do that- for piece of mind at least.
Think i am rambling, best eat ready to cook up something. Thanks for listening