The Diagnosis – Part 1 of Many More Than I Thought There Would Be
I want to be able to tell you that getting a Dementia diagnosis is fast and easy. Part of it is, and then there is a long process of hurry up and wait. We’re in Canada so our health system is both a blessing (free) and a curse (slow). Jim ‘presents’ really well so …. Read More
Traveling with Someone with Undiagnosed Dementia
Jim was well into Stage 4 of Dementia when we flew across the country to spend Thanksgiving with my family (October, 2017). We’d already been to see Jim’s family up north early that summer so I wasn’t expecting to have any issues. Apparently, his dependence on routines and familiar surroundings disguised his decline in the …. Read More
In the Beginning
We’ve been very lucky in that the progression of Jim’s decline has been slow and steady. With only a few little hills and valleys to keep me on my toes. We’d go weeks without incident and then we have three or four days where his memory seemed to have powered down but then he’d …. Read More
Stages of Dementia
I figure before we go too far into this, that I should explain the measuring tool I’ve been using to track Jim’s decline. This is the scale I use Global Deterioration Scale / Reisberg Scale The most commonly used scale is often referred to simply as GDS, or by its more formal name, the Reisberg …. Read More
Introduction to My Life With Jim
Welcome. I have several hopes for creating this blog and using it to talk about how dementia is affecting our life. Dementia has become third person in our relationship. Intellectually, I knew that living with my husband as he declined was going to be tough but emotionally, I had no idea how inside-out our …. Read More