My mom got diagnosed with early onset alzheimer’s back in 2009 when she was in her early 40s and she lost her mind a couple months after, but she still lives to this day only it’s not her anymore if that makes sense. I hear lots of people say they lost their loved ones to alzheimer’s and it kills me that my mom can’t get the same fate because (I’m gonna get alot of hate for this) death is far more humane than what she’s going through at the moment.
In: 38
Basically your brain forgets how to breathe or how to make your heart beat. Alzheimer’s slowly kills neurons typically starting with the more complex pathways memories takes. But eventually it will damage the larger pathways the brain uses for all the automatic functions of the human body.
Though, people often refer to “losing their loved one to Alzheimer’s” as the day they realized they didn’t recognize their loved one anymore; even though they were still living.
I am sorry for what you’re going through and can’t even imagine the pain you feel.
Alzheimer’s disease is mostly associated with memory loss, but that’s just one of the early symptoms. Over time you basically start losing part of your brain functions, you stop being able to physically take care of yourself. You eat less, move less and so your body degenerates. Eventually you die from related causes like bed sores and pneumonia.
Sorry for what you’re going through. Alzheimer’s doesn’t kill directly, at least not rapidly. Most Alzheimer’s patients are elderly when first diagnosed, so they don’t necessarily last a long time post-diagnosis just due to age and the likelihood of having age-related conditions become increasingly difficult to manage with dementia. But for those with youth or robust health at the start of a diagnosis, they can live for a long, long time, especially if they have an attentive caregiver and resources to keep them alive. Do what you can to bring her even fleeting moments of happiness – music seems to resonate with even advanced dementia patients – but there’s little else you can do. Take solace in the fact that she has no idea that she’s suffering if that helps.
Latest Answers