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My dad was diagnosed in 2018. It is horrible. I get up to 10 calls a day from my dad sometimes. He is usually off his rocker and has delusions. He has lapses and forgets who people are an relationships. It is weird.

He acts genuinely surprised when I tell him I met his parents and siblings. He treats most interactions like I am a casual acquaintance. He has referred to me as his brother, cousin and uncle.

The only thing that is good is that it doesn't last forever. I try to tell my kids every day that passes is likely his best day left and treat him accordingly.

He is also very hearing impaired and will not wear the aids. That makes it even harder.

Very shitty disease!

Sounds like my mom. Though she lived alone, I was there for part of the week for 8 years. She would ask me if I ever met her mother (I was 26 when my grandmother died). She would complain about that big boat running at all hours of the night (There was a creek behind the house, but it's about an inch deep).

But the toughest part was that it looked like some crazy person had take over my mom's body. You can't really understand it until you've had to deal with it.

Hang in there. She's gone now, and I miss her.

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Posted by Tigers2010a

Member since Jul 2021

3627 posts

Posted on 9/13/21 at 8:03 pm to SpotCheckBilly

My father had Alzheimer's and passed three years ago. One thing to bear in mind is that as the brain loses function, many aspects of the person, including personality, changes. I assume dementia is similar but my point is alzheimers impacts go far beyond memory. When he was first diagnosed, he had a period of aggression which was not typical of him. It passed after a year or so and remained difficult but gradually became much calmer. I still remember sitting on the porch with him towards the end and I had put birdseed out. All those birds and he was just absorbed watching them. He is in a better place now.

And now, my mother is going into dementia. It is part of life.

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