Three years ago, I was told by my Dr. that I had Alzheimer's.

[40RatRod]

I had mentioned that sometimes I would forget what I am looking for in my shop. I knew I did not have Alzheimer's. I knew that was wrong because I was a nursing assistant (CNA) and had cared for Alzheimer's patients for many years. My last patient had the disease and we had many good visits before his passing earlier this year.
At 81, I decided to give up Hospice and spend more time with my wife and animals.
A year and half later I was surprised at my doctors office when I was given an unexpected test and I admit I probably failed it badly. The diagnosis was dementia. I didn't argue because I still have problems finding tools in my shop. I had restored many classic cars over the years and have a massive amount of tools.
I also wrote a book, "Yesterday is Tomorrow", which was published late last year. I have even seen copies on eBay. When I saw my Dr. recently, I handed him the book and told him it had just been published. He read a couple pf pages and said "You may not have dementia". I told him about a new blood test that determine if you have Alzheimer's and I had taken it. Two weeks later I got the results which were negative for Alzheimer.
So, I have accepted that I have Dementia but enjoy life by staying busy every day.
I thought I would post this here because it might be helpful for anyone dealing with a loved one or perhaps themselves.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Bravo! You're doing what you need to do, to take care of yourself.

You're in your early 80's and such behaviors that you exhibit are quite normal for your age.

I'm glad you posted it.

[Haggard Celine]

2. Thanks for posting.

I have been thinking that I have dementia. I'm very forgetful. Sometimes I'll leave the room and forget why I left. I've been worried about Alzheimer's, too. My doctor says I'm just getting older. He asked me a few questions and said I had a good memory, but I know better. I used to have an awesome memory. But life is all about loss.

[NJCher]

15. about leaving the room and not remembering why

there is a phenomenon called the Doorway Effect. It's not dementia; it has to do with how we organize our minds.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160307-why-does-walking-through-doorways-make-us-forget

[mopinko]

20. if u turn around, you'll remember.

when that happens to me, i turn around and retrace a few steps. once in a while i have to go all the way back where i started, but usually a couple steps is enough.

[NJCher]

22. yeah, another thing is to anticipate the doorway

and say to it on your way through, "You're not fooling me, I'm going to get the SCISSORS."

The trick, obviously enough, is to use the doorway to reinforce your purpose.

[Gore1FL]

34. I used something sinmilar to this to help me stop smoking.

When I knew I was coming to a trigger point/event like getting in the car, exiting certain doors,I would say I am not going to smoke when I ____. Amazingly, it was usually enough.

[Haggard Celine]

21. Thanks for posting this.

Maybe I'm not losing my mind! The article mentions how sometimes we forget what we're about to say when we're having a conversation. I do that too. This made me feel better. Thanks again for posting.

[NJCher]

23. I am terrified of dementia or Alzheimer's

but my doctor dismisses me on that concern because neither parent had it.

My great aunt got it later in life, like at around 88. She died at 92.

Anyway, glad that may have helped a little:

[barbtries]

35. i gotta read that,

because i've been known to do that since childhood.

[Tree Lady]

19. I wonder to but it mostly short term memory

If I think of something I want to do then get sidetracked many times I forget what I wanted to do. Sometimes it comes back to me but takes awhile. My doc says its normal aging too.

[soldierant]

46. Leaving the room and forgetting why you left -

doesn't everyone? there's an old joke that older people spend more time thinking about the hereafter - as in "Now, what am i here after?"

They did an experiment some years ago with medical student - had them take their finals and the class average was 93% - movent them to a different room and comploetely changed how they were seated and the class average dropped to around 50% (Pretty scary that your doctor forgot haf od what he or she learned the instant they left the classroom.)

And ask any choir director - if you rearrange the choir you'll have to teach them all the music again.

[cilla4progress]

3. Boy, what timely, helpful posts for me.

Thank you!

[CousinIT]

4. Wow. What GREAT NEWS! Glad you knew better and kept living your life . . .

. . . and congratulations on the book too! I hope you have many more years of life to enjoy.

[debm55]

5. Thank you for posting.

[AnnaLee]

6. Maybe, like me, you are just getting older.

I have always had a good memory for things that interest me and a bad memory for most things because, for most things I ignore the input, so I don't remember much information about them.

I am still quite smart despite my old age degenerations as I can see you are too.

[LymphocyteLover]

28. I feel this is a slippery slope. I've never had a great memory for names and finding the right word

and I don't think I have dementia or real memory loss. Somethings I remember well and other things get lost but come to me in time. But I feel like if I was tested I might be diagnosed with memory loss or dementia.

[vanlassie]

7. So you're accepting a diagnosis of dementia based on that surprise test

three years ago? Did your doctor retest you?

[Richard D]

8. I can't help but wonder . . .

. . . how many diagnoses trigger the nocebo effect? Almost like a medical curse.

[Jazz Jon]

9. I too doubtful

I too am doubtful that you have alzhiemers. Those people are on a relentless downward track, with no plateaus. If somebody has alzheimers, they are not writing thoughtful essays on the Democratic Underground years after the diagnosis. If you had it, you would not be remembering that you had it, let alone retaining the ability to type. Alzheiemers is a startling and relentlessly downward express ride.

[gibraltar72]

10. I wonder if some of my tools are in your shop.

[vanlassie]

54. Hahaha

[patphil]

11. Just read your post. I don't think there is anything wrong with you, other than being 81 yrs old.

You seem pretty normal to me, but then I'm only 76...what do I know.

[malaise]

42. Ditto n/t

[Omaha Steve]

12. Like Bruce Willis I have Frontotemporal Dementia

I told the DU about this several years ago. I'm doing OK.

OS

https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/disease-overview/

Disease Overview

FTD is the most common form of dementia for people under age 60.

FTD is also frequently referred to as frontotemporal dementia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), or Pick's disease. It represents a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain. FTD subtypes include:

Behavioral Variant FTD
Primary Progressive Aphasia:
Nonfluent/Agrammatic variant
Semantic variant
Logopenic variant
ALS and Frontotemporal Degeneration
Corticobasal Syndrome
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

[Elessar Zappa]

14. Sending you good vibes, Steve.

[MLAA]

30. Omaha Steve, I'm wishing you the best.

I’ve been struggling with some symptoms that were highlighted when Bruce Willis’ family shared his diagnosis. Is there a reliable test that you took to determine your diagnosis? I’m early 60s and have noticed frequently the wrong words come out in a sentence and my memory is off.

[Omaha Steve]

32. You can see the damage in an MRI

At least on mine I could. The first warning was looking at a computer screen and all of a sudden it was like the screen was hieroglyphics. I couldn't read anything for about a minute. Scared the shit out of me. That was when I went to an aging specialist.

[MLAA]

33. Thanks. That must have been really jarring.

my dad and his mom had dementia. Dad’s was less severe and was limited to short term memory loss and a little shortness of patience from time to time which was very unusual for him. My 88 year old husband has severe short term memory loss but thankfully no change to his personality. At 50 I noticed my brain wasn’t working as well as usual and I joke with my husband that it’s a good thing I started off very smart because now I’m pretty average. Around 60 I started having trouble finding words and then more recently the wrong words pop out, like salt when I mean shirt. Also find myself opening the wrong kitchen cupboards or the fridge when I meant to open a cupboard. I did ask for an MRI a couple of years ago and nothing stood out. Maybe time to get another. Life is a mystery and we just do the best we can with whatever we are dealt.

[Beastly Boy]

13. The diagnosis for not finding the right tools in your workshop is

too many tools in your workshop.

Alzheimers is when you can't find the right tools in your refrigerator.

Please share with your Dr. I am not a doctor myself, but I like messing with them.

Enjoy!

[drray23]

16. I am assuming you got a second opinion ?

Because that does sound suspicious. Your doctor first misdiagnoses you with Alzheimer then say its dementia. Meanwhile, you are perfectly coherent since you write and publish a book.

If you have not yet, you probably should get another opinion. Being forgetful as you get older is normal. There is loss of memory occurring in older people and it does not always equate to dementia or Alzheimer, its just part of aging.

[Quakerfriend]

17. Great news & thanks for sharing with us.

Many times the Alzheimer’s label is used loosely to describe dementia.

[ancianita]

18. Thank you for sharing your logical responses to the medical world. Which calls itself a "practice."

You've been helpful, indeed. Now, where'd I put that Lion's Mane extract?!

[BarbD]

24. How many four letter words starting with "F" can you come up with in an allotted time?

This was my favorite part of the test the Doc had me take nine years ago when I was 74. He was absolutely convinced I had Alzheimers or at least dementia. He was soooo disappointed.

[keithbvadu2]

25. Everyone forgets where they left the car keys once in a while.

Everyone forgets where they left the car keys once in a while.

When you forget what they are for is the sign of trouble.

I'm seeing it as my gf develops.

[ShazzieB]

43. Exactly!

My husband's stepmother developed dementia (vascular, I believe) in her later years. She was in her 70s when I met her (when FIL started seeing her after my husband's mother died). I don't know when her dementia started to develop, but there weren't any obvious signs at that time. I suspect that we might have picked up on something sooner if we'd seen her more regularly, but my husband and I moved out of state about 6 years after they got married and then back to Illinois but a different part of the state. All in all, we didn't see them very often for about 9 or 10 years.

By the time we were living relatively close by again, she was beginning to display memory problems, but we didn't realize how serious it was for quite a while. Looking back, there were hints we could have picked up on sooner, but not having had any previous experience being around anyone with dementia, it took us much longer than it perhaps should have.

The first thing that should have tipped me off was when she couldn't recall basic things like how old my daughter was. We were seeing them about once a month by then, and every single visit would start with a flurry of questions about my daughter: How old is she? What grade is she in? etc. I'm embarrassed to admit that the possibility of dementia didn't even occur to me at the time.

The thing that was so obvious that none of us could overlook it was when we would all go out to a restaurant to eat. We would all order our food, and when it came, she was always surprised, because she would have no recollection of having ordered anything! Server would set her plate in front of her and she would be like, "What's that?" If she had merely been forgetful, seeing the food would have served as a reminder, like, "Oh yeah, that's what I ordered!"

To me, one of the chief differences between dementia and pain old forgetfulness is that things that would normally be likely to jog a person's memory don't have that effect. For example, I might walk into a room and forget why I went in there, but at the same time, I would know there was a reason even if I coudn't recall it right then. If I was looking for something like a pair of scissors and happened to see them, my next thought would be, "Oh, there they are. I was looking for those!"

A person with memry loss caused by dementia wouldn't even notice the scissors. They wouldn't just forget the reason they went in there; they would have no recollection that there ever was a reason. They would have no idea why they were there or what they were doing before that. If you go into a room and can't recall why but know that you went there for a real reason, chances are you don't have dementia, imo.

[moonscape]

44. My keys are on a keyring that says:

“I didn’t lose the keys, this time I lost the whole damn car”

[Jarqui]

26. When my mother was diagnosed,

they did every test and scan they could.
The doctor called it a million dollar work up.
The doctor was very well regarded.

She said in spite of all the testing, they could not tell if it was Alzheimer's or vascular dementia.
That was 2008. They've learned more since but I'm not sure if they can solve that riddle today without an autopsy. Maybe someone else knows better.

All my life to that point, my mother worried a lot about what others thought of her.
For a number of the early years in that condition, the disease obliterated that worry. Those years were the most liberating, carefree and happy years I'd ever seen her experience. It was amazing. My sister cared for her 24/7 (against our wishes for my sister). So my mother had a lot of good years after that diagnosis.

One site (to save me typing) listed these symptoms of dementia:

Experiencing memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion.
Difficulty speaking, understanding and expressing thoughts, or reading and writing.
Wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood.
Trouble handling money responsibly and paying bills.
Repeating questions.

From reading the top post, an author who wrote a book, it does not jive with the above.

Maybe it is something else like a memory problem.

This is one of a few tests that can be administered by a non-medical person to track how one is doing
https://cgatoolkit.ca/Uploads/ContentDocuments/MMSE.pdf
The top poster probably did more than one of these.

[riverbendviewgal]

27. Lately I have been forgetting things and my short term memory has deteriorated

This Thursday I am going to my GPs office to take a MOCa test.


https://www.verywellhealth.com/alzheimers-and-montreal-cognitive-assessment-moca-98617#:~:text=The%20MoCA%20test%20checks%20language,combined%20with%20several%20other%20assessments.

Good to know if I have any problem. I am 75 and live alone. Today I misplaced my house keys. I knew they were in my house and eventually found them. Hopefully I am okay.

[Ford_Prefect]

39. According to some opinions living alone may have as much to do with your memory

issues as any biological cause. It seems we are creatures who depend upon social context as much as we do performance ability.

The reason isolation is used for punishment, and breaking down people undergoing interrogation, is that it can disorient you as much as being drunk or going without sleep too long.

[riverbendviewgal]

40. Thank you for your response.

I am living in a quiet condo but have an annual membership with a sports complex. It has several pools, including a hydro therapy pool, which comes in handy for my fractured spine bones from a fall in March. I also can go an cycle in the weight room. I get to see people often and can socialize. I know this important. This is a good op. Very helpful for me. I go Monday to Friday.

[Random Boomer]

41. We all misplace things, that's pretty normal

But if you forget what things are FOR, that is a cause for concern.

So, losing your keys is normal. Forgetting what a key is for, that's not normal.

[Trueblue Texan]

50. Forgetting how to do familiar things is a sign of dementia, ...

...so the OP was right to suspect a problem. His doctor was totally incompetent and was maybe even trying to discount similar symptoms in himself. Alzheimer's is one of many types of dementias and is the most common. I had no idea vitamin D deficiency could result in the symptoms the OP shared.

[erronis]

29. Such a great post and so many good comments. We all are subject to mental and physical decline.

The medical professions attach labels which may not be accurate in every case.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

31. When my hubby noticed his own lapses he began cognitive care.

After 18 months or so he was told he tested in the Dementia Spectrum. He then had further testing including CT scan which revealed possible tangles.

We were told in 2015 that there is no way to definitely identify Alzheimer’s until a post mortem. But the progress of the Dementia is quite obvious. He has been on the two medications Namenda & Donepezil since before the diagnosis which I believe have him still functioning well, but with my constant care essential. He is 94. Luckily he has always been a physically active person as a dancer on Broadway who went to the ballet barre right up until Covid shut it down. Now we do exercises at home.

Always a good patient and friendly with staff, he was on top of the earliest signs. Only in hindsight did I notice some of the early changes. One interesting thing our doctor told us is that David has a strong personality which is helpful. But for those without a strong personality, the progress seems more rapid. Wonder if that is true. We did participate in drug studies. Sadly none proved successful.

[Hekate]

36. Thanks so much for this important post, and hugs to you

[70sEraVet]

37. Its a simple fact, that for us older folk, THERE'S A LOT TO BE REMEMBERED!

Imagine a huge landfill, a mountain of discarded goods -- full of items from several decades - countless faces, voices and names, images of places where we have lived and visited, items that we have owned and cherished, holidays with loved ones that have passed,,,, and NUMBERS! PIN numbers, phone numbers, SS numbers, birthdays, house numbers.....
Some of us remember our old phone number from our childhood! My wife remembers the birthdays of all of our children and grandchildren, her eight siblings, her parents and grandparents, and very nearly EVERY good friend she has ever made!
Yes, i have seen the heartbreaking effects of Alzheimer's and dementia. The pain of having a loved one look at you, and there's not a shadow of recognition. But don't let yourself be tormented over the fact that you cant find your car keys, or you're suddenly at a loss over someone's name. You just need a little time to dig through the ancient trash heap (archeologists call them 'middens')!

[wnylib]

38. My father had dementia in his last few years.

He lived to age 86. I got info on his mental diagnosis 2nd hand from my brother who lived near my parents when they moved to Florida (I'm in NY), so I'm not sure if it was dementia or Alzheimer's.

So I worried when 12 years ago I developed noticeable memory problems. My doctor kept writing it off as normal aging but I knew it wasn't because 1) I forgot functions, like the time I couldn't remember how to use my phone to call someone, and 2) I had physical symptoms like lights dimming and then going back to normal.

I thought it was TIAs but the doctor laughed that off instead of doing testing. When I lost a job due to a memory lapse, I demanded that my doctor find out the cause. He sent me to a neurologist. The neurologist discovered that I had a severe vitamin D deficiency, that my BP medicine was not controlling my BP well enough, and that the dosage for my hypothyroid medicine was not correct. (Hypothyroidism can cause forgetfulness.) A brain MRI confirmed that I'd had a series of TIAs.

So the neurogist put me on a megadose of vitamin D and recommended to my primary care doctor that he change my BP med and the dosage of the thyroid med. Since then no more dizzy spells, no more lights dimming and coming back on for me, no more forgetting functions. I take a daily maintenance dose of vitamin D and keep my BP under control with a more effective med.

I do have occasional memory lapses, like remembering names. Sometimes, but not often, I forget a specific word that I want to use, but if I pause and relax, it comes to me. I don't know if that's due to an age related decline in memory, or if the TIAs (mini strokes) damaged some neural pathways. My brain seems able to overcome the lapses when I pause and relax. Maybe the brain is compensating by finding another pathway connection to my word memory.

Oh, I also changed my primary care doctor since the problem had continued needlessly for 2 years before he took it seriously enough to refer me to someone, and then only because I angrily demanded it.

[Trueblue Texan]

49. Your doctor was incompetent as well as negligent.

So glad you fired him and so glad you are doing well now.

[OldBaldy1701E]

45. Well, based on several factors I am pretty sure I have it.

But I have to say... and I apologize for anyone who is bothered by this thought... but there is a part of me that will probably be pretty pleased to finally forget most things and to not know what some things are. It is what I say in reply to those who feel the need to inform me that cannabis affects short term memory. My response is, "Yes, and...?" To be able to stop having every second of every day replay over and over in your head for a change? Sounds like fun.

Having said that, There is a lot of research going on about this very topic, and there is a decent enough chance that they will have some means to heal the potential causes (not just deal with it) before long. Maybe not in my lifetime, but soon. In the meantime, I am looking forward to again enjoying all those movies that I am going to forget about!

[alfredo]

47. Thank you, and congrats on a not a worst case diagnosis.

My mom had Alzheimer’s. I was glad she thought I was her brother. It made her happy.

[Trueblue Texan]

48. Thank you very much for posting this...

...I have never heard of the blood test you mention. Do you know the name of it?

I'm so proud of you for not giving up and continuing to pursue what brings you joy. Be certain, your joy will bring joy to others.

[40RatRod]

52. Yes

In this area, Quest Diagnosis does most blood tests of all types for Doctors.

The test names for this are:

Quest AD Detect (TM), BETA AMYLOID 42/40 RATIO, P ABETA 42

ABETA 40 ABETA 42/40 Ratio


I was in range for both. I think this test is so new it is only available via Quest and it took three weeks to get the results. My daughter is office manager for a Dr. office who uses Quest doing for doing labs. When she found about it, she told me.

[Trueblue Texan]

53. Thank you. NT

[MiHale]

51. If forgetting stuff isn't a normal, everyday problem...

For EVERYONE explain to me the exact reasoning behind Air Tags.

[Deminpenn]

55. It seems memory problems are

increasingly called Alzheimer's regardless despite there being no way to diagnose this disease without an autopsy.

A few years ago, on 60 Minutes, there was a story on a group of nonagenarians who were part of a years long study of mental acuity. The fascinating part was that one participant was mentally sharp until death, but the autopsy showed his brain was full of the plaques and tangled associated with Alzheimer's. Another participant clearly had Alzheimer's like dementia, yet his autopsy showed none of the plaques and tangles. Clearly there's still a lot of unknowns.

Another thing that can cause fuzzy thinking and confusion is dehydration. Older folks don't always drink enough water causing leading to inadvertent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This happened to me, but resolved after rehydration and some potassium rich food.

[Moostache]

56. Thank you for sharing that...much greater help than you can know (n/t)