It took quite a while for Dan to admit that he had a problem. I saw that he couldn't complete simple tasks, among many other things. The kids noticed that he was having a hard time getting his thoughts together and expressing himself. We heard him say many times, "I know what I want to say, but I can't get it out." It was difficult talking on the phone with him. It was hard to know if we should help him finish his sentence, or let him collect his thoughts. We learned, over time, that it was best to try to help him, so he didn't have to get frustrated.
When Dan decided it was time for him to see a doctor and figure out what was going on, we started with our Primary Care Physician. The nurse began with a test of various questions. Here is an example of some of the questions:
When is your birthday?
What day is it?
What is the month?
What is the year?
What season are we in right now?
I'm going to draw a circle, and I want you to put the numbers on it as a clock, one through twelve.
He failed the test.
After failing the test, our doctor sent Dan to a Neurologist. Dan was given the same test. He failed again. Next, Dan was sent for an MRI and CAT scan to see what was going on in his brain. These tests showed that his brain was atrophying.
It was shrinking.
It was dying.
Our next doctor was a Neuro-Psychologist. This was a grueling test for Dan. It lasted 3 hours, and was draining and exhausting. When the test was done, the doctor looked at me and said, "I am very concerned about your husband." This was July of 2009.
Dan's low heart rate was better, but he still wasn't feeling well. We were still concerned about his heart. One day, with a flushed face, Dan said he couldn't look up without getting dizzy. I made a phone call, and was told to take him to the emergency room. At the admitting desk, they began asking for his name and birth date, but he couldn't remember, so I helped get him registered. His heart rate was dangerously high, and they thought he was having a stroke. After more tests, they discovered that it was not a stroke, but a rather large hole in his heart, called an ASD. The concern was that a blood clot could pass through this hole, and would go to his brain, killing him. A cardiologist referred us to a heart surgeon, and open heart surgery was scheduled for August 3, 2009.
Dan was convinced that he would feel much better after surgery. He believed that the surgery would allow more oxygen to flow through his body, and improve his thinking. The doctors, on the other hand, had concerns that he would be much worse after surgery because of the toll on his body. He was very confused after surgery, but didn't seem much worse after he recovered.
We had kept Dan's health problems, and our fear of an Alzheimer's diagnosis very private. Dan didn't want anyone to know. When the surgeon came out to update us on Dan's condition he made the comment, "I just hope this doesn't make his Alzheimer's worse." Well, with 27 of our family and friends in the ICU waiting room...let's just say...our secret was out of the bag! There were immediate questions and concerns. The diagnosis was not official at this point, so it was hard to explain to everyone what we thought the future would hold. Prayers were offered, and we were grateful for their prayers and support.
In 1999, Dan retired from the phone company, but continued working part time for as long as he was able. October 31, 2009 was my final day of work. I retired! My new job as "caretaker" began full time, as Dan needed more help, and needed me home to take care of him. He had increasingly become more anxious when I was not at home, so being able to be home was a relief for him.
By Christmas of 2009, I was witnessing more strange behaviors from Dan. He had become very angry with me when I told him to do more than one thing at a time. I just didn't realize his frustration at the time. I do now! He taped our front door shut, so the cold air wouldn't get in, but this made the door useless when guests arrived. Our daughter, Kerry, and her children were in town from Florida, and had prayed for snow for weeks, and boy, did God deliver?! It snowed and snowed! This caused great anxiety for Dan. He shoveled snow for hours, and panicked when he didn't feel that he could keep up. He shoveled off a deck that is never used, and even shoveled a path through the middle of the back yard. No one could convince him to come in and rest.
And then...it was January of 2010. It was a new year. We are coming up on the anniversary for a very important, and heart-wrenching day. Our resolutions for the new year were different from ever before.
We met with our Primary Care Physician who had the reports from our Neuro-Psychologist. He sat down with me and Dan's sister, Beulah, in his office, and with deep concern in his voice he said, "I am sorry, but the news is not good. It is Alzheimer's. Dan has Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease."
Ginger ~ Loving wife to Dan
When Dan decided it was time for him to see a doctor and figure out what was going on, we started with our Primary Care Physician. The nurse began with a test of various questions. Here is an example of some of the questions:
When is your birthday?
What day is it?
What is the month?
What is the year?
What season are we in right now?
I'm going to draw a circle, and I want you to put the numbers on it as a clock, one through twelve.
He failed the test.
After failing the test, our doctor sent Dan to a Neurologist. Dan was given the same test. He failed again. Next, Dan was sent for an MRI and CAT scan to see what was going on in his brain. These tests showed that his brain was atrophying.
It was shrinking.
It was dying.
Our next doctor was a Neuro-Psychologist. This was a grueling test for Dan. It lasted 3 hours, and was draining and exhausting. When the test was done, the doctor looked at me and said, "I am very concerned about your husband." This was July of 2009.
Dan's low heart rate was better, but he still wasn't feeling well. We were still concerned about his heart. One day, with a flushed face, Dan said he couldn't look up without getting dizzy. I made a phone call, and was told to take him to the emergency room. At the admitting desk, they began asking for his name and birth date, but he couldn't remember, so I helped get him registered. His heart rate was dangerously high, and they thought he was having a stroke. After more tests, they discovered that it was not a stroke, but a rather large hole in his heart, called an ASD. The concern was that a blood clot could pass through this hole, and would go to his brain, killing him. A cardiologist referred us to a heart surgeon, and open heart surgery was scheduled for August 3, 2009.
Dan was convinced that he would feel much better after surgery. He believed that the surgery would allow more oxygen to flow through his body, and improve his thinking. The doctors, on the other hand, had concerns that he would be much worse after surgery because of the toll on his body. He was very confused after surgery, but didn't seem much worse after he recovered.
We had kept Dan's health problems, and our fear of an Alzheimer's diagnosis very private. Dan didn't want anyone to know. When the surgeon came out to update us on Dan's condition he made the comment, "I just hope this doesn't make his Alzheimer's worse." Well, with 27 of our family and friends in the ICU waiting room...let's just say...our secret was out of the bag! There were immediate questions and concerns. The diagnosis was not official at this point, so it was hard to explain to everyone what we thought the future would hold. Prayers were offered, and we were grateful for their prayers and support.
In 1999, Dan retired from the phone company, but continued working part time for as long as he was able. October 31, 2009 was my final day of work. I retired! My new job as "caretaker" began full time, as Dan needed more help, and needed me home to take care of him. He had increasingly become more anxious when I was not at home, so being able to be home was a relief for him.
By Christmas of 2009, I was witnessing more strange behaviors from Dan. He had become very angry with me when I told him to do more than one thing at a time. I just didn't realize his frustration at the time. I do now! He taped our front door shut, so the cold air wouldn't get in, but this made the door useless when guests arrived. Our daughter, Kerry, and her children were in town from Florida, and had prayed for snow for weeks, and boy, did God deliver?! It snowed and snowed! This caused great anxiety for Dan. He shoveled snow for hours, and panicked when he didn't feel that he could keep up. He shoveled off a deck that is never used, and even shoveled a path through the middle of the back yard. No one could convince him to come in and rest.
And then...it was January of 2010. It was a new year. We are coming up on the anniversary for a very important, and heart-wrenching day. Our resolutions for the new year were different from ever before.
We met with our Primary Care Physician who had the reports from our Neuro-Psychologist. He sat down with me and Dan's sister, Beulah, in his office, and with deep concern in his voice he said, "I am sorry, but the news is not good. It is Alzheimer's. Dan has Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease."
Ginger ~ Loving wife to Dan
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