Leah, as usual, you write brilliantly. I am linking to this for my own ezine. We need to get your work out to as many people as possible.
Carol
I do thank you, Carol. I want to spread the word about dementia and its effects on my life. I don't seem to be reaching many people that I can tell. I wish I knew of other ways to get out the word. I do so very much appreciate your help in getting it out there as much as possible. It seems to just get lost among so many other posts sometimes...
Leah
God bless you. My heart is bleeding right now for a family member. I don't know how to talk to her about a "diagnosis" but I am sickly sure she may have "D" I love her so much and I don't want to hurt her, but I know medication would give her a greater quality of life. (she is only 60).. Can I ask what if any medicaiton you take, and how you came across the strength to visit a doctor for a diagnosis?
Hi, Lynda. I am just about the age of your family member (I'm going on 60). It is hard to know what to do. I wonder, does this family member know anything about dementia? Since everyone is different, it hard to know what approach to take, but taking NO approach should not be an option. There are many good medications out there which may prolong her good health. I take Aricept. It has helped me tremendously. I also take a med for depression which usually accompanies dementia, I have been told. Both have greatly increased my quality of life.
But we are putting the cart before the horse. First, you must see that your loved one gets a good physical examination. It would be helpful if someone went with her to help answer more fully any questions the dr may have. Don't we often tell the doctor only what we ourselves want to hear and forget the other important things which would be instrumental in the doctor's diagnosis? Once you've seen your physician, he/she may refer your loved one for further testing. I hope you have read about the symptoms, treatments, etc for dementia/alzheimers which are on the HealthCentral.com and OurAlzheimers.com websites. That will help give you a better background of knowledge for dealing with this condition.
I do hope that you can get help for your loved one. It would be so easy to stick one's head in the sand and hope the problem will go away. It is very important to get to a dr for the proper diagnosis. You can support your loved one from there. I wish you the best. Please keep reading and I'd like to know how things turn out. You and your loved one will be in my prayers.
Leah
Thank you. I have supplied my email address in hopes I can keep in touch with you, maybe let my mom correspond with you in hopes she doesn't feel so alone through this. I am flying to her state this Sunday and I have arranged a doctor visit for Monday (6/2/08). I love her so much but I am sick when I think about talking to her about this. Thank you for your continued prayers, you are in mine.
My name is Tara I am not sure why Lynda showed up, but ironically that is my mom's name.
(my email - tara.ivey@yahoo.com)
Hi Leah - Thanks for your post - sorry I have been MIA for a few days - all 5 of us (3 kids and hubby and me) are sick with bronchial infection.
As always your honesty is warming to our heart and we pray you and your family get through all of your troubles.
I agree with Carol that your work needs to be seen in as many places as possible. I know it can be frustrating when you dont see comments on your posts. I would like to say (without giving you specific numbers here) that there are MANY people reading your posts and those of all our experts. We can record pageviews for all of the material on our sites and we have lots of them. I think there are many people who come to our posts to simply read. They take it all in and then spread it to their friends. But they just dont always comment themselves.
So stand strong my friend and trust me when I say your work is admired and important.
All the best, sue
Hi it's me again. I wanted to introduce you to Mandy Crest who is our Mutilple Sclerosis expert patient blogger. I commented on her latest post and thought you would like to read it:
Thanks so much for your post Mandy.
I am placing a link to our patient expert Leah Jones from the Alzheimer's site. She has dementia. And the reason I am linking her posts here is I thought it would be interesting for our MS members who have strong minds and "weary" bodies to read about someone who has a "forgetful" mind and a strong body. The polar opposites. But both of you are fighting as best you can - which makes you just the same.
I think if you read some of her posts, you'll find you have alot in common.
All the best, sue
Read " A Day in the Life of a Dementia Sufferer" and see what I mean.
I am new to this blog and I couldn't agree more. I prayed for some sort of comfort and answer for what my mom and I are about to battle together and I found Leah. I am very glad this and you all were here. I hope after next week this blog will be able to be a new source of comfort and strength for my mom. We have a doctor's appointment, Monday. Thank you for your words.
You are so right. I usually read for the knowledge and to gain some fortitude for the coping skills I need . (My Dad has dementia.) Leah's posts are insightful, and honest, and oh-so-close to home. So. Leah, if you are reading this, take heart that your words are heard by many, many people -- even if we don't comment back to you.
Hi, Tara. I am sorry not to have answered sooner, but as you probably have read, I lost my brother in late May. I am just now getting around to catching up on my communication. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind comments. The internet is so large and can be so silent, that I don't know what impact my writing is making. Responses are welcomed with open arms!
Leah
I too am living with dementia. five years now. Some memories come back when others talk about them. I can reread mysteries and be surprised again. Can't piece together my granddaughters outfit if she isn't there to help me think. I volunteer at school and library and go to the senior center fo activities, but an hour at a time is pretty much my limit. Some days I mourn myself, but not usually anymore.
I know what you are saying. Pictures help to some point, so does conversation...but it still takes time to make all the synapses connect. We filmed our Christmas morning so that I could watch it later when I have no recollection of it. We are finding that filming and taking pictures aides in bringing back my memory sometimes. Other than that, I, like you, live in the moment and remember the distant past. It certainly does take some getting used to -- for both me and my family!
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Hey Leah,
I like keeping up with your blog - very interesting to me since my mom has dementia (Alzheimer's) and I'm always trying to understand what it's like for her and how to respond to her in different situations. The more I learn - the better equipped I am. So glad you put forth the effort. It's much appreciated.
I'm glad your granddaughter has you in her life and I pray for her health and healing...
It hurts when your loved ones are struggling.
Hang in there! Diane
Hi, Diane. I'm glad that you are reading my blogs. Sometimes, when I receive no comments, I think I'm just writing to myself...and even that, I guess, would be okay... It is a real struggle with any disorder, and anorexia is one of the worse. It's like being on a roller coaster all day. Soon, I will be returning home, back to a very calm, peaceful setting. I know I will still worry not knowing how things are going with my daughter and granddaughter. I hope that your mother and you are able to have some special moments together. And, I hope, that you can gain some insight into how she is thinking and feeling through my website. Hope to hear from you again.
Leah