Long-Awaited Diagnosis: A Mixed Dementia Diagnosis

THIS IS POST NUMBER 100 ON THIS BLOG BEGUN DECEMBER OF 2008 WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS FIRST DIAGONOISED WITH DEMENTIA! Actually it is the 100th started--I have drafts that I haven't posted yet. Today we expect to find out what kind of dementia he has--that neurological appointment that we needed beyond the primary care doctor's 30 question diagnosis in December of 2008. Lord, go with us, as you have in the past.

6:30 AM We are up after a good night's sleep. Coffee. Anticipation. I can feel prayers of family and friends.

10:00 AM is the appointment.  DH drives to the appointment--maybe his last time driving.

Assistant Director, Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute, Nancy Teten, presented Dr. Ashok Raj's evaluation of husband's memory loss. She confirmed Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer's, A Mixed Dementia.
Dr. Raj wrote: "There is severe atrophy of the hippocampal complexes and of the amygdala bilaterally, strongly supportive of a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease."

He continues: "Vascular: There is absence of flow in the right cavernous carotid artery, indicating probably obstruction upstream somewhere in the neck. The cirle of Willis, however, appears be completely patent and the right middle and anterior cerebral arteries fill via a patent anterior communicating artery and a right posterior communicating artery. The remaining intracranial carotid arteries and the vertebral basilar system show signal void and are patent."

Nancy told my husband that until he takes a driving test at the Mortan Plant Mease Madonna Ptak Center for Alzheimer's and Memory Loss in Clearwater, he is not to drive. Dr. Raj will send them a prescription and I will call to make the appointment. If he were in an accident, an attorney might sue us for our home with his medical records. I was so impressed with Nancy's warmth and professionalism.

I then drove to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes where I had a coupon, but where he complained "Where's the beef?" I found some in the chilli soup for him.  Then I drove to Sam's where he bought a DVD and I got a few other supplies. I might fight his getting a DVD because of finances, but he just had had driving taken away from him.

He doesn't remember much of the morning, but I want to cry. He is watching his new DVD now. With Vascular Dementia he will always remember me, but with the Alzheimer's part he may not. Nancy said she was surprised that he still dresses himself, but owes that to his taking Exelon and Namenda since December of 2008. She was surprised that he is not exhibiting signs of depression. Nancy is looking at financial help for our medicines because the best place for DH to live is our home and we don't want to mortgage our home because of his expensive medicines (or lose our home due to an accident). He will have a yearly assessment at the USF Johnny Byrd Alzheimer's Institute and may or may not get it a research study. His past heart problems may keep him out of a study, Nancy said.