A man whose wife is dealing with early onset dementia has shared the initial symptom he observed before she received a diagnosis.
John and Heather, a couple from Halifax, Canada, launched their YouTube channel after Heather was diagnosed with dementia around her 60th birthday.
Early onset dementia is characterized by a dementia diagnosis in individuals younger than 65, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most prevalent form. This condition impacts memory, cognition, and behavior.
The couple’s YouTube channel, John and Heather’s Dementia Journey, is dedicated to providing insights and advice for those living with dementia and their families. It covers the ‘ups and downs’ of caregiving, coping strategies, and aims to raise awareness about dementia and the challenges faced by caregivers.
In one of their videos, John, 64, addressed a frequently asked question since starting the channel: ‘When did all of this start?’
John detailed that he began noticing changes in Heather during May 2021 and decided to document these observations in journals.
He mentioned that Heather had ‘a series of memory lapses,’ with one incident being particularly significant for him.
“We were walking along the Halifax waterfront boardwalk, which has been redeveloped […] and Heather and I have walked that, we’ve been down there a few times before that,” John described.
Despite having visited the area multiple times, Heather remarked that the location was ‘all new’.
“I thought, ‘What? What do you mean this is all new?'” John remembered.
Another incident occurred when they went cycling on a familiar trail, and Heather said: “This is a beautiful trail, I’ve never been on this.”
Although John recognized the memory lapses as unusual, they didn’t initially cause ‘alarm bells’ for him.
The turning point came when Heather took their dog for a walk and called John, saying she’d lost the car keys. When he arrived, he found her standing by the car with the keys on the hood, ‘right in front of her’.
“It just didn’t register,” John expressed. “And that was quite alarming because that is completely uncharacteristic of Heather to do that kind of thing.”
As time passed, John observed a ‘series’ of odd actions and behavioral changes, such as Heather’s difficulty in expressing her thoughts and a notable ‘apathy’ in situations where he anticipated a more significant reaction.
Following her diagnosis, John became Heather’s primary caregiver until she moved to a long-term care facility.
If you are affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s and need someone to talk to, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 800.272.3900, available 24/7.