That is the hard part, not knowing what is going on unless they say something and then it isn't always easy to know what to say to comfort them.
Are you like me and fear when these new things crop up that it's a sign he's slipped another notch with the disease? There are times I find myself watching Neal like a hawk looking for changes that will indicate the meds are not working as well and we're about to take another down turn in the progression.

Yes, I do find that I tend to watch him for the next sign. Like when he forgets my name I think is this it? Has he completely forgotten me? Or will remember my name again? He forgets/remembers but I know that one day he won't remember at all. And then sometimes I ask him to do something that he still has the skill like make toast and then he can't and I think, "Ok, one more thing he can't do." Sometimes I think dying of cancer must be better than this.

Deb - that was a very heart wrenching event. You handled it very well. Does your husb take anything for depression or anxiety ?

My husband rarely says anything but "yes" and 'thankyou". This morning we were in the car stopped at a stop light. I was digging
around in my purse for something and he said "there ya go"...
The light had turned green. I was shocked and amazed. Now I wonder how much is still in there and he just can't express it in words.

What a horrible disease. I hate Alzheimer's.

I know what you mean, you think they don't what's going on and then they have long moments of coherency, how terrible to live like that.

My mom has day's like that to.Its strange to see them come back ,then in 5 minutes be gone it again.Its makes me wonder what goes on inside there mind to.God bless you all.hugss maudie

The sad and scarey thing is, from what I've heard from people with alzheimers who are still able to express themselves to some extent, that very often they are aware of what is going on, they may not be very interested most of the time but there is more awareness then we can see but they lack the means of getting what they are thinking and feeling out to those around them.
How hard must that be to have things you may want to say, to tell people and not be able to put the words together, sometimes when they are mumbling and talking incoherently it is because they are trying desperately to communicate and they know that the words are not coming out right and there is nothing they can do to fix it. It breaks my heart to think of this and how helpless it must make someone feel.
I agree Deb, cancer or many other illnesses would be easier to deal wiht. There might or might not be more physical pain but the person would still be them right up to the end, they woudl still have their minds and memories and know the loved ones around them. We've lost many family members to forms of cancer and although it was hard it was nothing like watching loved ones go through AD.