We are not sure when "it" all began. My mother-in-law had expressed some concern with her memory several years ago. She complained that she couldn't find her keys and often she would lay things down and not be able to find them. My husband and I reassured her, we do the same thing all the time. What really confused the issue was she had also lost her husband of 49 years. I had read that after a loss it is very common to be forgetful. I told her that her mind is more interested where her husband of 49 years is...not her keys. This idea comforted her...now I am not sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Throughout the next several years, she struggled with depression and anxiety. She was prescribed antidepressants...she was on them for years. (Future posts will talk more about the depression) Again, she began to have increased concern for her memory issues. She decided to talk to her physician about it. He asked her some standard questions and she did well. He then asked her to count down from 100 by 7's...she had great difficulty and couldn't get too far. (Let me just say, if a doctor asked me to do that...I am not sure what I would do first... run out of the room or ask for a calculator!) The difference is my mother-in-law has a Masters Degree in Mathematics and taught high school Algebra and Geometry. The fact she had difficulty made an impression on her and her doctor. The doctor started her on Aricept.
The family really thought it was much to do about nothing. I mean did her doctor know she was sleeping all day? Did he know she was withdrawing socially? Surely he noticed she was losing weight? We did know that she was not as alert as she used to be, but if she had something to do in a day, didn't over-sleep and went out and about and she had to be with "it" she could do it in a heartbeat.
She had been on Aricept for a year, when we decided to get her to a psychiatrist to help regulate her antidepressant and Aricept. She voiced concern to him about having Alzheimer's Disease (AD) The doctor added Namenda, after she told him her mother had AD when she was living. (Ironically, her mother never had AD, she had dementia after she had brain surgery, after a fall)
She continued on medication for 2 years for both the depression and the AD. Our family had convinced her to change general practitioners and move on to a geriatric physician. The new physician listened to all her concerns...mostly all about the depression and AD. The doctor gave her a short memory test and she did well, but because my mother-in-law was so concerned...she referred her to a neurologist.
She looked forward to her appointment. Like all other doctor appointments, she got up early, fixed her hair, her make-up and her outfit were perfection. The neurologist tested her for over an hour. My husband in the room for the entire exam...even he was shocked of how well she was doing AND he anticipated she would do well!
The doctor told her she had normal frontal lobe memory loss that can comes with aging. He reassured her, he didn't feel she had AD or any other form of dementia. Our family was excited and felt our suspicions had been affirmed. Her geriatric physician went along with my mother-in-law's request to go off her Aricept and Namenda...afterall, they were not needed and are very expensive drugs. The doctor said let's try no meds for 6 weeks...we will check back then.
We were all thrilled for her. We observed her and noticed nothing unusual or different with her behavior...we were not surprised. Then "it" happened...5 weeks off meds. My husband and I saw her on Wednesday...she was fantastic. We saw her on Thursday night, and it was like we were with another person. She mostly seemed very slow and disconnected. The next days were like a whirlwind...the next day was Good Friday, then Easter and then her birthday. Her brother and sister-in-law were headed here from Alabama to take her for a little trip. For those of you reading this that know anything about AD, you can only imagine that trip! For those of you that are just learning about AD...let's just say...if you remove those with AD from their homes and familiar surroundings, it makes for very interesting times.
Each day she was gone was another day off of her meds. She went from being a little slow and disconnected to forgetting how to make a sandwich. She came home from her trip and we put her back on meds immediately. Five days later, she started to come back. Just as quickly as she "left", she was coming back. It has been a year ago this week...she will be turning 75 tomorrow. She has no recollection of last year's birthday or her trip with her brother and sister-in-law.
It is becoming clear each and every day...the meds are losing their effectiveness. The saddest part is she is aware of most of her changes. Well...all of that is yet to come in other posts. I do hope you continue to follow our story...
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