The stages are very important to me. My hubby was just diagnosed a couple of months ago and he is in stage 5-6. It is unbelievable that a person can actually jump into this stage. All the doctor can say because of his intelligence he was able to mask it, until now he can't hide it any longer. The doctor also said depending on what age you get it really matters say for instance if a person is 57 and say they would normally live to be 70 without the disease, with the disease it is usually cut in half. Today I was told my husband probably wouldn't live but a few years because of the severity of the decline on a scale of 1-100 percentile he is in the 1 percentile range, I am devastated and totally not prepared for all of this.
They told me to buy the book 36 hour and read it, and so much was told to me today, how can this be happening so fast?

Dear angelb,

I am so sorry this is all happening to you so fast. Your feelings of devastation are well understood. This is happening very quickly and without warning to you, and in these sorts of situations the last thing we are is prepared. It is helpful for some caregivers, when dealing with the time around and shock of the diagnosis, to think ahead and find ways to take control over the situation. Control over dementia could come from learning more and educating yourself about the disease, its stages and treatments, however taking in a sea of information could be overwhelming and contribute to your worries. Learning about this disease is very overwhelming, and some caregivers need more time to cope with the diagnosis before educating themselves on the details. It is very normal to be scared and right now, you have been told a lot, not only from members in this community, but also your husband’s health professionals. Taking this time “day by day” or “moment by moment” is often a strategy often utilized by caregivers facing this disease. You deserve opportunity to “take it all in” but there is no time limit.

It has to be so heart breaking to hear that your husband’s disease is progressing so quickly. Unfortunately there is not much known about the progression and why it is different in each person with the disease. It is often hard to predict what will occur in the progression, or for that matter how long it will actually last.

I strongly recommend that you find support for yourself during this time. Many people go to their friends and family, but there are also trained professionals well versed in the needs of caregivers and people with dementia that could be of great help to you at this time. I would urge you to contact the Alzheimer's Association Care Consultants at 800.272.3900 anytime, day or night, to talk about this or any other concerns.

Sincerely,

Jaimie E.

Alzheimer’s Association
Care Consultant

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jaimie E.,