In 2015 I began noticing that my mom was repeating herself often. This alerted me that she could have an issue with her memory. I talked with her, and she, too, noticed something was off. I made appointments to have her checked, starting, of course, with her PCP. Where the doctor told us it's just her age and nothing too alarming. I wasn't satisfied with this answer and began calling neurologists myself to schedule her an appointment. I took her to Neuro, Neuro-Psych; she had CT Scans, MRI's. Only to be told again that it was old age.
Time went on, and mom still became increasingly forgetful. Family members would call me and ask about it or tell me they noticed something off with mom, and I would tell them the same thing the doctor told me. That she was fine, and it was just age.
Towards the End of 2017, I found a Neurologist in Columbus who was said to be great. I called and scheduled her appt for the beginning of 2018. With the holidays approaching and new patient appointments, we would have to wait till the first of the year to be seen. Unfortunately, due to my back surgeries, when the appointment date came around in January, I could not attend, and she went with her husband. This is where we learned mom had been having mini strokes (most likely in her sleep), impairing her cognitive function. Still not diagnosing her with Alzheimer's or Dementia, only Mild cognitive function. Mom continued to get worse, and her husband was not following through with her care. I stepped back in after she was to have a PET scan that had never been scheduled for her. And her medications were not helping or being taken correctly. After her PET Scan, we waited to hear from her Neurologist.
Only mom fell before we received the results; after that fall, my mom's memory declined at an alarming rate. I spoke with her about it, and she was ok with me scheduling her an appointment with her Neurologist to discuss the decline. We had an appt in October that was subsequently canceled without my or my moms knowledge. I rescheduled the appointment, and we went to it on Nov 6, 2018. This was the day that mom got her Diagnosis of Vascular Dementia. Even though I knew since 2015 that something was wrong, this hit me like a ton of bricks.
There is no cure, only medications to stop the disease from progressing. Mom continued to decline, not remembering how to cook or even being familiar with foods we've eaten all our lives. Even though my mother is here with us physically, she is not my mom. She has lost words and the ability to form sentences. This disease took my best friend. Mom and I were so close. I talked to her every single day. I pray every day that a miracle happens and a cure is found to bring her back to me. Even if for just 15 minutes. I want to talk to my mom and know she understands what I am saying. To tell her what's going on in my life and her grandkids and great grandkids. If walking to End Alzheimer's can help find a cure; I will walk 1,000 miles to find it.
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