Bill and I always had this kind of side plan when we reached the Autumn of our lives, we would migrate south and become snowbirds. But sometimes life throws us a game changer, our wings have been clipped - in our case the game changer is called Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). For the past couple of years we have been tracking its' path, trying to find out what was going on, the diagnosis is challenging and often confused with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's early-on. LBD affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the United States. The easiest way to look at it is to picture an umbrella which represents Parkinson's. At each point hanging down from the umbrella is a variation of these diseases. One could be Alzheimer's, another Parkinson's, Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson's with dementia, the list seems endless.
The main symptoms: Dementia, movement problems (parkinsonism) fluctuating cognition, attention, alertness, visual hallucinations, REM sleep behavior disorder, extreme sensitivity to antipsychotic medications, personality changes (depression, delusions, apathy) and changes in autonomic (involuntary) nervous system (blood pressure, bladder and bowel control)
We have followed the search the same as many affected by this heart-breaking disease. First diagnosis: Parkinson's, next diagnosis - Degenerative Dementia with Parkinsonism features, Alzheimer's, and finally what I have come to suspect for quite some time, Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsonism Features.
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| One remembers driving skills for a long time since they are learned quite young, however, the problem arises in the unexpected situations that can arise (deer run out in front) and wrong turns, spatial problems (parking) etc. |
It seems we will try to sail along taking one day at a time, but at the same time we must plan for a very different Autumn of our Life.
