Our Journey with Alzheimer's disease: A timeline of my mom's cognitive decline.

In 2018 at 68yrs old, my mom was having trouble remembering things at work so she went to see a neurologist. He did an MRI & told her her forgetfulness was likely caused by stress/anxiety/depression & to see a therapist, possibly needing medication. Since the neurologist assured her it wasn’t Alzheimer’s, (my mom was so scared of getting the disease, her dad had it and she knew how devastating it was) she never went for treatment of her anxiety or depression. 

2019 at 69yrs old, my mom felt her memory was getting worse so she asked me to go back to the neurologist with her. He did another MRI and found that in comparing the two scans there was brain shrinkage. The neurologist recommended we go to Penn Medicine in Philadelphia for further testing and clinical trials. So that is what we did. 

2019-2020 at 69/70yrs old, We noticed things continued to get worse for her. She wasn’t able to pay her bills or write checks anymore and she would get lost when she drove places. The doctors at Penn Medicine diagnosed her with “mild cognitive impairment” and then later, Alzheimer’s. They started her on an Alzheimer’s drug called Memantine, along with a drug for anxiety and depression. We stopped the clinical trials because they didn’t seem to be doing much for her and the testing really stressed her out. She retired from her job selling insurance. 

2021-2023, my mom really relies on us for most things now. It's my brother, sister and I and her 2 caregivers. She cries nearly every morning because she is scared and confused when she wakes up. She constantly thinks people come into her home and take her things.  She can not bathe or dress on her own, she can not brush her hair or put on her makeup. She can not make her meals or pour herself a glass of juice. She 𝒊𝒔 however still able to brush her teeth, if we put the toothpaste on the toothbrush for her and show her where the bathroom is, and she can also put her shoes on if we place them next to the correct foot. She can still walk and talk (although it’s difficult for her to find words and follow a conversation now) and she can still DANCE!

2024, my mom is now at the end stage of the disease. We have caregivers for her 24/7. She has to be spoon fed now and has to be changed and dressed each day. We bathe her and brush her teeth. She sleeps in a hospital bed and can no longer walk on her own. And although she does still talk it is difficult for us to understand what she is trying to communicate to us. She gets agitated, cries and shouts throughout the day but is on medication that helps us manage her unpredictable moods. I really wish could still dance with us..