Posted on 05/27/2006 1:10:58 PM PDT by gopwinsin04
Elizabeth Taylor Has Alzheimer's
May 26, 2006 1:45 p.m. EST
Christina Ficara - All Headline News Staff Reporter
(BANG) - Elizabeth Taylor is reportedly suffering from Alzheimer's disease. According to reports, the Oscar-winning legend - who has been suffering from dementia for several months - has in fact been struck down by thedegenerating illness.
A friend told: "Elizabeth is now beingtreated for early stages of Alzheimer's...At this point there is very little that can be done. She confided to her specialists that she finds herself more and more confused."
The 74-year-old screen legend, who has survived a brain tumour and severalstrokes, is alleged to often feel delusional because of the condition which affects the memory of sufferers.
The source added: "Liz wakes up sometimes and really doesn't know where she is and she's scared."
(Excerpt) Read more at allheadlinenews.com ...
Nice jpeg.
so photogenic.
I believe that's still correct. I think a lot of people use the terms interchangebly. I believe Alzheimer's generally shows symptoms much earlier in life than at her age.
I forget the exact number, but Alzheimers accounts for a very small percentage of senile dementia.
My grandmother passed away 2 years ago and had been diagnosed with ALzheimer's for at least 10years.
I always questioned the diagnosis, because she definitely had a dementia, but she never forgot who or what she was.
I do not like the tendency to use Alzheimer's as a catch-all diagnosis. I would make sure the doctor has ruled out the other causes, because there are a few which are reversable and others which are treatable.
As long as the evaluation was complete and it is what it is, relax, enjoy your Mom when she is lucid and when she is confused.
My Grandmother was healthy otherwise and I used thank God she was happy in her world...it could have been so much worse.
My father's is for the most part memory-oriented things, so he's referred to as suffering "age-related dementia". Mom's is more imagining historical things totally wrong, erratic thought processes and a few other details - the doc has her taking an Alzheimer's drug (which may or may not help - who really knows??).
That is so sad.
I hope your hubby understands *now* that she had no idea of what she was saying or doing *then*.
Often overlooked as a fine actress because of her very lovely face, I always remember her in "A Place in The Sun". I hope this is not true.
I don't recognize this news source. (Bang?)
Shouldn't the diagnosis be dementia? I thought that Alzheimer's couldn't be accurately diagnosed until after death. Anybody?
**
I certainly am not knowledgeable about the subject, but I recall that an expert on TV once said that, with dementia, you forget where your car keys are, whereas, with Alzheimer's, you for get what your car keys are for.
Prayers and condolences for you.
Prayers for you.
Prayers for you and your mother.
From the below article it appears that there can be different causes for dementia, but the most common cause of dementia is from alzheimer's. It also appears that by brain scans they can determine Alzehimer's, so you don't have to die first in order to know.
Causes of dementia
The most common cause of dementia in older adults is Alzheimer's disease. A German doctor in 1906, Dr Alois Alzheimer, first described the disease. He described characteristic changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness.
Today still, the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. However, we know much more about what happens in the brain and a number of risk factors for the illness have also been identified. The disease process causes structural changes of brain matter and, associated with this, certain brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) also change
What's Larry's excuse?
I agree. My family has a long history of taking care of elderly relatives at home until their death, but we had to make the tough decision to place my father where he could be cared for 24/7 by professionals. He was diagnosed with dementia, and we stubbornly kept him at home much longer than we should have, and were very lucky not to have had another tragedy because of it. When it became too much for my mother, I took him into my home and he found where I had hidden his meds (he would take them over and over) he dumped a bottle in his bed, and my 2 year old (at the time) was helping him sort his pills when I realized what was going on. He also set the house on fire twice, and we had many other near misses- but we finally did the right thing for him and everyone else and got him proper care. I miss my dad terribly, and regret that we could not care for him at home until his last days, but I do know it was not possible- so I have no guilt over the situation.
I'm no doctor, and suppose booze and pills could be a contributing factor, but my mom suffered from it and was not a drinker and never took pills.
Of all the ways to 'check out' I don't think there is a more inhumane way than the big A.
It was the most devastating period of time in my life except for losing my son.
One very cold winter morning I was taking my dog for a walk, when a woman came toward me wearing only a light night gown and no shoes. She asked me, "Sir, can you help me?" I asked her what the problem was and she said she couldn't find her house. I asked her where she lived and she named a street miles away from our location, and I knew it was impoosible for her to walked all the way to where I found her. I took her to my apartment, got my wife up, and explained the situation. I then had to leave for work. My wife wrapped the poor woman in a blanket, and began to ask her who she could call. She named her husband, and a check of the phone book showed she indeed lived on the street she had named, but the phone was disconnected. My wife questioned her some more, and the woman mentioned the name of a son, as she was very cognizant of the past. To the phone book again, only this time with success. It seems she and her hubby had moved to this apartment complex the day before because he felt he could better care for her in a smaller and more secure living area. Sometime in the early morning hours she had awoken and wandered out of her new apartment and had no idea where she was. She was returned home safely, and alarms were installed to sound if the door were opened.
I do not tell this story to garner praise for myself, but only to illustrate the terrible things that can happen when this disease strikes. In fact, I can only praise Heavenly Father for allowing me to be an intrument in retrurning her to safety.
My prayers are with Elizabeth and anyone else who suffers from this disease.
"My mom is suspected of having Alzheimer's but I was told only after death during a autopsy could it be as positive
diagnosis"
Does it really matter? You are watching someone slowly (or rapidly, in some cases) lose their cognitive capability. In my MIL's case she was a total vegetable the last 18 years of her life. Not fun for anyone.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.