I understand. Is there a day care in your area? Your husband could go there and you can do something for yourself. You may be able to find a support group in your area also. I'm sorry, this disease is very hard to deal with. You do need to have some kind of break for yourself though. Please do that, it makes it a bit easier to deal with.Take care.

Even though your husband has dementia does not mean you have to be housebound. I take my 77-year-old father all over the place.
We have taken plane trips and car trips.
He may not always remember where we are or where we have been but I make sure not to overtire him.
I point things out to him and make him think & speak.
At home we have picture signs on doorways so he knows what room is what. I carry an extra set of these signs with us and put them on doors so he knows where the bathroom is and what doors not to go through.
Activity can slow dementia.

Thank all for the comments. I would even like to hear from someone whose spouse has dementia to learn coping strategies. My husband is only 64 years old so this has really hit me hard.

I think you need a strategy. Once you get over the shock and start to accept the situation, you will find it easier if you have a separate life from the illness and the duty of caregiving. Do you have friends? You may need to cultivate single friends now, if your socializing has been couples. There will be some coiuples you can still be close to. I would suggest psending quality time with your husband, and it will not all be bad, and getting paid help for him enough of the time so that you can also have a social life of your own, and friends.
I know this must be hard to swallow. So many of us are coping with a life we did not expect, deserve, nor prepare for.

My husband is only 60 years old and has just been diagnosed with Binsheimer's Dementia. Like you, we have no children together and no families for support. I was angry *before* the diagnosis because I thought his odd behaviors meant he didn't love me anymore. The love your husband had/has for you is now forever.

I'm just plain scared: Binsheimer's patients usually live only about 5 years from onset, and he's been affected for a few years already.

Maybe you're actually more frightened than angry (?)

< HUG! >

i understand. i married my husband after being with him for 26 years. he's 81 now and i see a big change in the last few months. i noticed he forgets things and where he puts things, that you told him something only moments before and he don't remember, blames people for moving his stuff and taking his stuff. mostly one person in particular my grandson. he's on him regularly. argues with him regularly like two kids. drives me nuts. i loose my patience very easily

I understand your anger, my wife has had dementia for 14 years, due to meningitis. Everytime I interact with her she cries. Today I found she had wet her underwear, and the bathroom floor,( at least not in bed) I was angry because I stepped into it with my bear feet. Somehow I controled my anger, handed her clean underwear and pajama bottoms, and went into the other room for a soad. When I returned, she had put her pajamas on, with the underwear on top of them. So I just helped her change. I'm trying to find a connection to her. One idea for you, does your husband do better in public? Get Out!

2cat my parents are in a situation similar to yours. There are three kids but we are 2,000 miles away. Dad has been having symptoms for several years but was finally diagnosed last Fall.

I think what most of us experience is grief. Knowing that this is bringing a major change to our lives, effectively ending life as we know it and signaling the eventual death of a loved one. You should read about the stages of grieving, it can help you understand what you are feeling.

What has been hardest for my parents is the good days/bad days and never knowing what today will be. I call them several times a week. Some days I will hear how bad he is doing and my mom and I will talk about making changes like him not driving or not being able to attend my nieces wedding. But then there are days when mom will say something, I will suggest a change and she will vehemently refuse saying that he is OK. I think she is having a hard time accepting how this will change her life as well.

It may sound corny but AA has what they call the Serenity Prayer.

God give me the strength to change the things I can,
the courage to accept the things that I can't change,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

There are things that you can do, things you can't do. The trick is to understand where things fall and to accept that there are things that you can't control. Many times in the beginning (and still today) I found myself making complex plans for them. Then I would realize that I can't make this illness or my parents fit in the little boxes that I made.

If you can come to accept that this is your life for now you will be so much happier. Get some counciling and speak to your doctor. OFten the caregiver forgets to take care of themselves plus there are anxiety and anti-depressants that might help you. I also found that it has helped my mom to make some general plans..vacation, short trip, house project..but keep the details flexible. You don't need to sit at home waiting for him to get worse and die. Live life just on different terms.

Greetings,
I do extend my deepest sympathy for your losses in relationship to all the changes that have happened due to your husbands' dementia. First, the anger comes from not liking this new situation at all and also being angry at NOT being able to change it. You are experiencing several losses which one needs to process through as you adjust to this new reality. First, the interactional quality of your relationship with your husband has declined. He does not contribute his support to you like he used to by doing tasks or by encouraging you. Second, you have lost your dreams and expectations of what the future would look like. The hopes have died and now you need to come up with a new picture of the future. While you still have him, it will need to be a dual track picture, part of what your being with him looks like and the other part being how you relate to the rest of the world. I call it being "half a widow". Also, do develop some goals of what your life will have in it later, after he passes away. Be sure you make some dreams of a life you will enjoy. Most women outlive their husbands. Life will go on. Get counseling and support to help you develop goods things to come for you.

My husband has dementia, he is so paranoid. He is older and we have a pre teen daughter. It is devastating to her. I am so tired angry. How do I do it? I often feel unable to give u conditional love

You and my MIL are in the same shoes besides the kids she has 6 and half of us are so busy so god bless you on your own this is so hard.

She just retired and thought they would do this and that and now his hallucinations are so bad she can not even leave him alone and he is up all night. He thinks she is out to get him so he can be mean to her and she is so sad, she had it all laid out and now everything is different and confusing. He is only 67 and we are trying to understand and find help in our area and coming against red tape and people not knowing what to do either and they are in the field.

Good Luck and take care

My husband like yours got this early onset! He had to leave his job and I too retired to care for him. NO this is certainly not the retirement we planned..it was suppose to be "our time" filled with fun , relaxing things to do, traveling and just enjoying life! Guess what ....not happening. It is a shock and this whole thing is kind of a slow grieving process , loss of your partner, loss of doing things, loss,loss ,loss. It's beenalmost 6 years now my husband is quite far along at this point, he doesn't know me half of the time. Sadly there is really nothing he can do and his speech is almost completely gone(aphasia). I wish I could tell you something good, I really do but it is hard and I won't pretend its not or I wouldn't be being fair to you.

I will tell you being in an online support group is a big help, "Alzheimers group is amazing". It helps to just let it out to people who are/or have been where you are and say whatever with no judgement just caring. aLSO IF YOU CAN FIND A LIVE SUPPORT group that is good as well. (go to alheimers.org to find local groups) I waited longer than I should have on both counts but once I opened up my eyes and did so I was so glad I did.

Come her , or as I say the Alzheimer's support group also and get the friendship and sisterhood to help you through this journey. It's a tough one but we shall make it one day at a time...and TOGETHER!

God Bless..sherbear2

Scamper,
Your words rang so true for me and hit right at the core of my feelings. I think this gradual erosion is so very painful and learning to love differently is a challenge. Anger at the disease, not the person is what I'm trying to accomplish at this early stage, but I often find myself losing patience with my husband realizing my emotion is just plain fear...how much worse will it get? How much more can I withstand?
These are long and often dark days but I'm doing everything I know to find those bright spots.

I totally understand. Husband has dementia from alcoholism and seizures and I can't go anywhere.. Very bitter he did this to us. I have no life except for my farm animals,

I certainly am sympathetic to your situation. My husband was diagnosed with dementia several years ago and is now in an assisted living facility. He has children that he alienated 40 years ago and there is no one except me that has contact with him. I am myself disabled and homebound and his angry personality causes me distress. I have had to learn to lie to him just to keep him calm. His reality is in the 1970's when he was married before and was abusive with his previous wife and children and his conversations reflect that. I have no one to help me either and just have to learn to live with it. My health is failing and it is hard to take care of myself and worry about him too. We have been married 33 years. Best to you and your emotional roller coaster.