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In reply to the discussion: Three years ago, I was told by my Dr. that I had Alzheimer's. [View all]Jarqui
(10,558 posts)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.
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