Living With A Husband That Has Alzhiemers
Posted June 12th, 2012 at 1:44PM
I knew something was wrong with him, but sense I'm not a doctor, I couldn't just say he had alzhiemers. I looked on the internet for what was needed and found out a lot of much needed information. My mom and dad both had alzhiemers, but I had no idea that there are differant kinds and levels of it. Actually
alzhiemers isn't the disease, dementia is. There are differant stages of dementia and differant reasons why it has happend.
For some like my mother it was due to TIAs she had from the age she was menopausal. My dad dementia was due to alcoholism that led to heart disease as well. My husband recieved severe head and spinal injuries in Viet Nam when he ran over a landmine, in a track. That and years of alcohol abuse led to where he is today. Along with other severe mental health issues. He is like living with a child that is also ready to exploed any second. Then there the fact that he doesn't think there is anything wrong with him and will not take the medication prescribe to help.
You may ask why I don't just leave him or place him in a nursing home. I have tried to leave before, stayed away for five years. Then I found out he was in problems with his relatives taking his money and him doing without. Like someone told me love is blind and marriage is the institution for the blind. I came back remarried him and became his caregiver. I don't really regret it but I do wish we were like a regular married couple.
Now I spend my days taking care of his phyisical need and everything that needs doing for our home. I can't just leave and go see a friend or just get out of here for a day. I have to either take him with me or arrange for someone to sit with him, neither one is an easy task. So I am on the internet a lot. Some days he doesn't even know who I am and others, he is just mean. His doctor says he's angry at the disease but taking it out on me. Now I'm face with the decison of when will enough be enough and place him in a nursing home. I do have him on a list for the veterans home near here, but it'll be Febuary before he's on top of the list and there is no guarentee there will be a room for him at that time. I can guarentee this though he will go kicking, screaming and blaming me when he is placed there.
If you are anyone you know is ever faced with this kind of life, don't stay away, they need you more now than ever. There's my story but there are others out there that have there own. I would love to have you share yours with me.
alzhiemers isn't the disease, dementia is. There are differant stages of dementia and differant reasons why it has happend.
For some like my mother it was due to TIAs she had from the age she was menopausal. My dad dementia was due to alcoholism that led to heart disease as well. My husband recieved severe head and spinal injuries in Viet Nam when he ran over a landmine, in a track. That and years of alcohol abuse led to where he is today. Along with other severe mental health issues. He is like living with a child that is also ready to exploed any second. Then there the fact that he doesn't think there is anything wrong with him and will not take the medication prescribe to help.
You may ask why I don't just leave him or place him in a nursing home. I have tried to leave before, stayed away for five years. Then I found out he was in problems with his relatives taking his money and him doing without. Like someone told me love is blind and marriage is the institution for the blind. I came back remarried him and became his caregiver. I don't really regret it but I do wish we were like a regular married couple.
Now I spend my days taking care of his phyisical need and everything that needs doing for our home. I can't just leave and go see a friend or just get out of here for a day. I have to either take him with me or arrange for someone to sit with him, neither one is an easy task. So I am on the internet a lot. Some days he doesn't even know who I am and others, he is just mean. His doctor says he's angry at the disease but taking it out on me. Now I'm face with the decison of when will enough be enough and place him in a nursing home. I do have him on a list for the veterans home near here, but it'll be Febuary before he's on top of the list and there is no guarentee there will be a room for him at that time. I can guarentee this though he will go kicking, screaming and blaming me when he is placed there.
If you are anyone you know is ever faced with this kind of life, don't stay away, they need you more now than ever. There's my story but there are others out there that have there own. I would love to have you share yours with me.
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