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We've been watching him go real slow but steady. He retired in 86 and went downhill from there. We all wondered if it would be fast, and no, it was real slow. He would just forget the word on the tip of his toungue at first, then memories, then stupid decisions while driving. He had his license until 3 or 4 years ago. Now, he needs someone to help him go to the toilet and help himm bathe. He cannot get up or sit down on command, (Maybe he does that on purpose!), but if something happens that makes him excited, he is all of a sudden intelligent again! Alzhiemers doctors need to look into the adrenaline thing or something!

My prayers are with you, friend. My father got early-onset AD in his 60s. In May of his 69th year, he went into a VA hospital for a month, then to a nursing home. He died on Thanksgiving Day of that year, having lost any ability to control himself, to comprehend anything, to speak, to feed himself - even his gag reflex was gone. It's a horrible disease, but I hope you and your family can take some comfort, as I did, in knowing your dad's being well cared for.

Thanks for the response. My Mom was in her early 80's when I noticed she couldn't balance her checkbook any more. She could,before that, add or subtract, a column of figures in her head. She was a pianist, but soon couldn't read the music and she never played by ear. Her short term memory really suffered. On the day that Andrew hit florida, I was closing up our house (alone) to take her inland to her sister's house where we spent the night. She asked me no less than 20 times when I was serving lunch, just having had hers.

Even before he died she seemed to have no interest in her husband of 37 years, like she had forgotten who he was. (I would have been thrilled if this had happened 25 years earlier.) She went through his funeral with all the appropriate gloom and "Poor Ken" then she never mentioned him again. However, she never forgot her son, mother, father, uncle, grandparents or my father. She did forget her sister. She talked about my brother but when he came to see her she did not know who he was. She forgot how to walk. She ate well, but after a time I had to feed her. She talked incessantly to a group of friends for whom she had names, and sometimes kept it up all night long.

It seems like they reach a level and stay there for awhile. Then they get worse, and stay there awhile, and so on. She could not read, something she loved doing, and TV had absolutely no meaning to her. Finally she would try to talk and couldn't. She would chew but had trouble swallowing. She knew we took care of her, but not who we were. I was the Lady and my husband was the Mister.

I have to say that throughout the last 6 years some days were better than others, she knew who we were, was loving, or angry. She had a sharp wit that seemed to stay around until the end, and a bawdy sense of humor. When angry she was very outspoken and lucid. One day she told me she was daft. I responded, well daft or not we love you. "One daft more and I'm gone" was her reply. Another day she informed me she was a morphodite!

It is very hard to see your parent losing thier mind slowly, I do understand. I missed my mother desperately while she was declining. My husband was an angel, and when I began to falter he would take over. I could never have done it alone. The very last thing to go were her social graces. She offered every visitor refreshments and a chair. Finally there was nobody in there any more and her heart gave out. Thank God for Hospice.

I do believe the family suffers more than the inflicted. You will find days that are good and you will remember them. This is a tough time for your Mom, but with her children's help she will be alright. Your father will too.

I will think of you often and offer a prayer for you and your family. Let me know how it goes?