Something’s going on with Grandmother

On December 10, 2020 I lost my grandmother. Her 3 and half year battle with mixed dementia had come to an end. I remember like it was yesterday being in the car with my grandmother while she was driving back from the store. We came to a red light and she stopped so far back from the crosswalk I was puzzled. I looked at her and said, “grandmother you can pull up some, you are way far back from the line”. She looked at me like I was speaking in a different language. I tried to encourage her to move up again, but the light had changed so she went on to continue driving home. I made a mental note to pay more attention to my grandmother and her movements, just to confirm or deny my suspicions. I believe my grandmother knew I was watching her because after a while she started wanting to go to the store by herself. I did not think it was a good idea, however I was outnumbered by the rest of my family. Even though they did not think it was as serious as I did. I remained vigilant and kept watching and kept riding with her when she left.

Over the next few weeks I noticed a lot of things about my grandmother. Her reaction time while she was driving was not as on point as it should be. She was losing her train of thought more often. She was getting flustered and confused when it came to counting money. Then the unthinkable happened, we were coming from the store again and she said she could not remember where we lived. I knew then that something was going on with my grandmother. I emailed her primary care physician and told her my concerns. Her doctor than recommended I make an appointment with the geriatric clinic who could connect my grandmother with a memory doctor. I had never heard of a memory doctor before that moment, and they do exactly what it sounds like, they check your memory to see how it’s working and if they need to give you medication therapy to help you stay on track, they do.

My grandmother was very reluctant to see the memory doctor. She would not talk to her at first. Being a specialist, Dr. Brown was very good at her job and she got my grandmother to open up. They did an initial assessment and a CT scan of the brain. The ct scan showed evidence of a few mini strokes that had altered my grandmothers brain chemistry. This alteration was the beginning of her battle with mixed dementia. At the end of this appointment they gave me a collection of resources. I read everything I could to educate myself on what was happening with my grandmother. I wanted to know what to expect. I wanted to be prepared for what would happen.

There are 10 signs of Alzheimer’s that should be looked at very closely in your elderly family members, friends and neighbors, because early detection is the key to slowing down the disease and prolonging life as you know it. I am listing the top 10 signs because I hope they will help you as they helped me. The signs are; memory problems, disorientation, withdrawal from work and or social activities, trouble with comprehension, problems with speech and writing, poor judgment, changes in mood and personality, agitation, difficulty with familiar tasks and difficulty communicating. These signs are all indicators that something could be going on. If you recognize any or all of these signs in your loved one, get them to the doctor as soon as possible. If it’s a neighbor or a family friend, let their loved ones know what you recognized and encourage them to take a deeper look. There are a lot of resources for people who are affected by Alzheimer’s and like everything early detection is a lifesaver.