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alzheimers
My grandma has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's 6 months ago, but we think she's had it for much longer. My parents were hiding it from me all this time. I'm really upset with them for that. But anyways...
I'm just scared for her. I just was wondering if anybody could tell me things about Alzheimer's...I know like what it is but I just wanted to know a little more. I'd ask my parents, but they sorta don't want to talk about it. I mean, they didn't even tell me. I figured it out when they mentioned it in casual conversation. So basically asking them is completely out of the question.
Thank you.....
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It's a sick disease. My grandma had it. What makes it so horrible is that, it doesn't actually make you sick like it will kill you...
You live as long as you were supposed to live...but it just makes the persons rest of their life and the lives of the people that love them miserable.
My grandma was diagnosed with it when she was 79. She lived 17 years with it before she passed away at 96. The first couple years after she was diagnosed were okay because she'd only have "episodes" where she'd have the memory loss. But after that it was like a miracle if she remembered anything. She lived in a nursing home for the last 12 years of her life. And it was awful because my grandpa died while she was still living with the disease. And we had told her he had passed but she wouldn't remember and she would always talk about him like he was still there. It was very hard for my whole family to watch.
Your parents probably just didnt want to tell you because they were either too troubled by it or they just didnt think youd be able to handle it.
I think the best thing you can do in this situation is to be mature about it and spend as much time with your grandma as possible while you can. Cherish the time you have left with her.
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The truth. Well, here's the truth from what I've experienced.
Well, my grandma was never diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but I'm not alone in thinking she may have had it.
She had Parkinson's Disease, which deteriorates brain cells. As she got into the late stages, she started having Alzheimer's symptoms. I don't know if it actually was Alzheimer's, or if it was just that Parkinson's was paying it's toll on her.
Both diseases are devastating.
I stayed with my grandparents to help care for grandma until I got married. Over that period of time, she went from where she knew exactly who I was, to where she hardly called me by my name (she would call me Belinda. My name is Brandi.), to where she didn't know who I was at all.
That hurts. I won't lie. It's heartbreaking. But I went through it with the truth up front- I did lots of research, and I also remembered that no matter what, it's not her, it's the disease. She can't help it that she doesn't remember who I am. If it weren't for this, she would never forget me.
You see, I was her only granddaughter out of 9 grandkids until I was a senior in high school. Grandma and I were always very close. However, even though she got to where she didn't know who I was, we were still very close. I don't know if it's a bond thing, or what. I can't describe it.
She got to where she had spells where she was quite sharp tongued. Now, this is the only time in my life that I ever remember grandma having sharp words to say. But, same as forgetting who I was, she couldn't help that. They say that's all apart of late stage Parkinson's (I'm willing to bet the same goes with Alzheimer's). Something scientific to do with loss of brain cells that I don't understand, so I can't explain.
You know what I think? I think that, in all honesty, it would be frustrating to forget the way she forgot. It would make me have sharp words to say, too.
Grandma was depressed. A disease that attacks your brain causes that. Again, scientific explanations should go here, but I can't do that. But again, what I think is that when suffering from anything that impacts your daily life like that, especially when you know it will get worse, would certainly make me depressed.
She got to where she lived in the past. She would talk about her kids as if they were still little and running about the house. She had this drawer full of memorabilia that she always looked through. She would speak of her parents being in the next room as if they were still living. Stuff like that.
Again, scientific stuff... My thinking- If I couldn't remember what happened 5 minutes ago, but could remember every happy moment in my life, I think I'd stick to that happy place, too.
(As I'm sure you can tell, a part of my coping system was to put myself in her shoes, to try to imagine how I would feel if in her place so I could better understand.)
Even when Grandma got into the later stages, we still held great conversations. I do mean great. Mind you, we couldn't talk about recent events, but I would ask her about things from her past- growing up, vacations, raising kids, married life, etc. and she could talk for hours about that. She loved to do that, and I loved to listen.
Any disease like that is hard to cope with. It's hard for them and it's hard for you. When it hurts, don't ever feel bad for hurting. When it makes you sad, don't ever feel bad for feeling sad. Just always remember that no matter what, she's still Grandma underneath it all.
Now, like I said before, my grandma was never diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but she had the symptoms. It could have actually been Alzheimer's, but it may have been a part of Parkinson's. I don't know for sure, and highly doubtfully ever will.
Don't be too hard on your folks on how they are dealing with this. It could be that they are trying to protect you by keeping you blindfolded. I admit that keeping you in the dark isn't the best way to help you understand, but that may be all they know to do.
Then again, it could be that they are still trying to come to terms with it and deal with it themselves. If they haven't figured out how to deal with it themselves, how are they going to help you deal? Remember that could be what's going on inside their heads.
Either way, don't come down hard on them. They're doing their best. This is hard on them, too.
You have a wealth of information at your fingertips. Search the internet for Alzheimer's Disease, especially symptoms, what to expect, how to cope. Those searches should bring up websites that may be helpful to you.
Hang in there, kid.
Anything more I can do to help, let me know.
ygs-30/f
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First off, I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother, and how your parents are treating the situation.
Here are a few good websites I found for you. They can explain it a lot better than I can, as I'm not a doctor:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
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[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
-Laura. (16-f)
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