Dang, life can be cruel.

[Sld1959]

Just talked to my cousin, he is 58 and had a 5 hour assessment yesterday. He has been diagnosed with early dementia. He cannot drive, he cannot work as he drives truck. His memory retention test is 5 minutes he says, not sure what all that entails.

His wife had sone eye surgery a quack recommended and did and is now legally blind, cannot drive so they are in a bad place.

My wife was a geriatric nurse for 40 years and said early onset dementia is real bad, its super fast and effects everything fast

Feel terrible for him.

 

[powerboatr]

OMG
yes the early dementia is harsh. prayer for your cousin and his family
he and she will need pretty much live in care.

loosing your sight quickly is very hard for people to handle and causes lots of depression etc

 

[Recusant]

So sorry that is happening to your cousin. It hits close to home.

 

[Old_Me]

i have had quite a few relatives, and friends that had dementia....

they go slow at first, then take a nose dive. nothing anyone can do, and it's hard to watch all that.

i hope he has a family that can care for him, take his car away like NOW, if they already hadn't.

we get way too many "Silver Alerts" here on those Amber Alert highway signs, of a "missing person" last seen driving xx car, plate number xx...."call police now if you see this car"

it ain't funny, how this can end.

 

[Belt Fed]

Very sorry to hear, It's a horrible thing to watch a loved one go down to it.

 

[mikep]

I am sorry to hear all this. I really feel for your cousin and his wife. I can only hope they have local support to help them out.

 

[Grayfox]

My old body has been battered, bruised and patched on more than I care to admit. I got through it all.
But the thought of dementia scares the crap outta me. I pray for those who have to suffer with it.

 

[wolfpack076]

Dementia is terrible. I deal with folks all the time with it on duty and it's really scary to see. Prayers being sent your way my friend...

 

[Bassbob]

My father has been in dementia for about 2 years or so. The progression has been pretty slow with him. One day he started telling me about how his son won't let him get on the roof to clean gutters. I'm his only (living) son. He sometimes thinks my mom is his mom who has been dead since 1976. He's 83 and my mom just turned 80. She still bowls on the women's league every Thursday night so I go over and sit with my dad after I get off work. We usually talk about the old days. It's hard to watch the toughest bastard you ever knew reduced to a doddering old man.

 

[XD94045]

Prayers up Sid! My sister-in-law suffers from this and it is a cruel jest. She lost her husband (my best friend) last year and was totally oblivious to it all. The downward spiral is not something I would wish on anyone.

 

[Sld1959]

Ty gentlemen, it was a shock to say the least. It is such an insidious thing and to find it is even faster in younger people was a devastating blow to him.

This is the one fate that terrifies me. My mind has always been my strength and what shaped who I am. It's the one thing I have decided about.

 

[TidalWave]

Praying for him, his wife and your whole family, Sld…

 

[Lock n' Load]

Thoughts and prayers to all who suffer this horrible affliction as well as their families and friends. My Dad's oldest brother was diagnosed his early 60's and deteriorated quickly, not recognizing family and friends after about 5 years until he passed in his mid 70's. He was the picture of health and fitness as he played pro basketball until his mid 30's when he took a job as a railroad conductor. He kept himself in shape even then and never smoked nor drank. Seeing this deterioration was extremely painful to our entire family and his many friends.