Feeling blue. Mom is too young to have this dreaded disease. She's only 68. Why oh why did this have to happen. My mind is working overtime...I used to be such a heavy sleeper...now I don't get to bed until midnight...and even then I can't shut my mind off about things...I wake up in the morning and feel sad...I'm trying not to let these feelings consume me...work helps...keeps me busy...my co workers say kind things..and that also helps. My children keep me laughing..I love them so much...but I'm so damn worried about how my Dad is handling all this. I feel angry that my Mom was robbed of a quality life at such a young age. It's not fair!

What makes me really sad is not just what Mom is going through..what my Dad is going through.

He's talking alot about death these days...so many of his past co-workers and friends have either passed away or are in a home...and now my Mom is turning against him...she sees him as "the enemy".

We drove by a funeral home last week and he was telling me how people always say nice things at funerals even if the person who died was a jerk.

Tommorrow is the big doctor's appointment...Mom hasn't been diagnosed yet...I''m just praying that Dad can get her to go. He doesn't want me going along....but he's taking my Mom's good friend along..she's going to take her out to lunch and then..hopefully they'll go together.

Taking a medication like Prozac is not just taking a drug to feel good. Often when dealing with or caring for a family member with AD or related disease a person may find themselves in a situation where they become clinicly depressed. This is real common with CGs that have been at it for a long time or when first coming to grips with the disease. There is nothing wrong in taking prozac, anti depressants or anti anxiety medication when the need for them arises. These medications are use when you can't shake feeling sad, depressed or anxious and one should never feel ashamed for needing some medical help.

Edyth Ann aka Bubblehead aka Queen Bubble
AOL IM EdythAnn12
edythann@netzero.net

Meadow, speaking for myself, the chemical that I take on a daily basis has made the difference between night and day. I wasn't sad on a daily basis. Life just went on without any pleasure. My chemical of prescription makes the happy cells multiply and and encourages the sad cells to stay away. It replaces the chemical that my brain no longer produces. There should be no shame in taking an antidepressant. The stigma shouldn't be there.

May the frog have mercy on my soul.
Power to the puppets and peace to all people.

I was diagnosed 6 yrs./ago at 58,but knew at age 56.Keep on keepin' on...............Lynne

Lynne

Bejo, My Mum is 68 and she's had this for about 5 years. She seemed to start declining after my grandmother died.

Oh GOD I don't need prozac...yet. It's not like I feel like this everyday. I felt like that yesterday and needed a sounding board. I would never take a chemical to make me feel better. But thank you for your concern.

Yes I am talking alot to my father, we had lunch yesterday...we meet two or three days a week now. And finally..we found a doctor for Mum, so things are looking up.

Meadow,
Are you presently taking an anti-depressant? If not, check into it. Feeling sad and down is normal, but prolonged is not good for you. As you have already noticed, it is eating away at your sleep.

I'll agree that it's not fair for your mother's golden years to look more like lead. But having acknowledged that, allowing anger to dictate all your feelings going forward is destructive to you. Somehow, you accept that her decline is a fact that isn't going away, may stabilize, but never go away. And if you are going to be good support for your father, he needs you to be calm, rested, and helpful.

I sound like I'm dictating how you should think. Believe me, I am not. Four years ago, my husband and I had so much traveling, reading and writing that we wanted to do. Life as we knew it became an unending nightmare, until his death three months ago. That was not fair either, but the reality was there to face and deal with, thankfully with the help of my daughters and prozac.

Because my husband was Chinese, there was no question that he would live anywhere except in his home and die in his own bed. It is a cultural truth that is practically inviolate. It may not have been fair to the rest of us, but there was no question in my mind that he would never be anywhere else.

Milly was 62 and stage 5/6 when we had her diagnosed. All in all I figure she suffered with this disease (EOAD) for twenty some years.No it is not fair but life rarely seems to be. If these feelings of sadness keep plaquing you, it will be a good idea to go see your Dr. for some help in changing those feelings. You may try checking around and see if there is a greif support group in your area. Check out the alz. Assoc. and find some meetings you can go to. Education and fellowship with others is extremely helpful. You are not alone, niether is your mother and father.

Edyth Ann aka Bubblehead aka Queen Bubble
AOL IM EdythAnn12
edythann@netzero.net

My husband is 65 and has had Alz.for about 3 years.How far along is your mom? Do you talk to your dad about your mom? From how I feel, the best thing you could do for your dad is give him moral support.Let him use you as a sounding board.There will be times when he feels defeated and angry and just plain mad at your mom.But remember he isn't really mad at her but at what she has become.He will need someone to talk to that isn't going to tell him how she can't help it.He knows that,he just needs to let his feelings out.Be there for you mom but also be there for your dad,especially down the road a piece.