Study: 55% of Alzheimer's patients not given diagnosis

[Omaha Steve]

Source: WXII

By Sandee LaMotte

In the 1950s it was cancer. Hush, hush, whisper, whisper.

"They called it the 'C' word, and it didn't get talked about in doctor's offices," said Beth Kallmyer of the Alzheimer's Association. "It certainly wasn't talked about in the general public, it was whispered."

Today it's Alzheimer's, and 55 percent of patients and their caregivers say their doctors never told them they have the devastating disease, according to a special report of the Alzheimer's Association released this week. Compare that to one of the big four cancers -- breast, colorectal, lung and prostate -- more than 90 percent said their doctors had no problem giving them the diagnosis.

"Alzheimer's not being talked about, many doctors are not giving the diagnosis," added Kallmyer in a webcast. "We need to change that. It's a disease, it's nothing to be ashamed about."

FULL story at link.

Also see this post for a simple test for Alzheimer's: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1017


Read more: http://www.wxii12.com/health/most-alzheimers-patients-not-given-diagnosis/32012142

[jwirr]

1. Do they have a real test to diagnose it before the patien dies? When my mother had it they did

not diagnose it as Alzheimer's because that was the case. And if they had told me definitely that was what it was I think they would have been wrong. She died of massive hardening of the arteries. Her dementia could come from that instead. I don't think the doctors have the tools they need to be sure of their diagnosis in this disease.

[Omaha Steve]

2. 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp

or http://www.alz.org/national/documents/checklist_10signs.pdf

Have you noticed any of these warning signs?

Please list any concerns you have and take this sheet with you to the doctor.

Note: This list is for information only and not a substitute for a consultation with a qualified professional.

____1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s, especially
in the early stages, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or
events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or
electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own. What's typical?
Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Some people may experience changes in their
ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar
recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do
things than they did before. What's typical? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.

FULL list at link.

[jeff47]

3. You could just say "No". (nt)

[Michigan-Arizona]

11. My dad

The Neurologist told me the only accurate way they could tell me for sure was if the did a biopsy on his brain. I never felt that he had Alzheimer's. He was going in for eye surgery, they gave him 2 pills when they prepped him, gave him something else when they took him for the surgery... They took him into the recovery room, after over an hour later the nurse came out to tell me she didn't like the way he was not coming out of it. Nurse ask me how much they gave him in the prep room, I told her 2 pill's & she said a half of one probably would have been fine... She ended up admitting him to the attached hospital. He didn't even know who I was after this. He drove to my house two days before the surgery & could have drove himself to the out patient unit but he couldn't of course as he would be put out completely for the operation... When the Neurologist told me it was Alzheimer's, I told him all this & said since when does it come this sudden with no symptoms before hand, his reply was yes it could. My dad was 82 NEVER sick in his life that I knew of & he never took any kind of meds, ate very healthy, was on the thin side... Through the years I've spoken to many nurse's who seem to think his body was like overdosed being his system was not used to any of this... I hope this make's sense as I'm not very good at putting word's on paper...

[Ms. Toad]

12. What you are saying makes sense -

but you should know that some forms of anesthesia trigger a dramatic increase in the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease - and some people (particularly very intelligent ones) are pretty well advanced before they demonstrate any symptoms.

If you start out with 50 different pathways to find a piece of information, your loss can be invisible for a lot longer when you use half of them than when you start with a handful of different pathways - and lose half of them.

My spouse (who has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment) has had pretty significant losses that I have been aware of for a decade - her siblings are just starting to notice because she covers so well.

[jwirr]

13. The biopsy was all they had then also. Interesting that you mention surgery. My mom had several

surgeries at what people would call the onset of Alzheimer's. She also got worse immediately after the last one. I asked my primary care doctor if all the surgeries could have had anything to do with it - he said it could have. Now that I am in my 70s I am very careful about having any surgeries. I am going to need some but I have decided I would rather ache than lose my mental abilities.

[Thespian2]

4. K & R

[mainer]

5. Possibly they're just told they have "dementia", without specifying?

Because there are several reasons for dementia, and Alzheimer's is just one of them.

[jwirr]

7. That is why I think my doctor did not diagnose it specifically. Steve I did go through all 10 and my

mother had 2 ( her checkbook was in terrible condition and the bank had been paying her bills), 3 (she had trouble dressing properly - liked to layer), 4 (read the calendar from top to bottom instead of side to side) and 7 ( several times she was obviously searching for her "baby" grandchildren who were now grown up).

I really doubt 5 because having cataracts is very common. And lose of vision is also a normal function of aging.

Thank you.

[gblady]

8. yes, this.....

from my training as an Alzheimer's Association volunteer, I seem to remember that there are 80 different types of dementia, with Alzheimer's accounting for about 50%.

Dementia is so little understood, and is so greatly feared, that speaking of it is very difficult for some people.
In my work as a private care partner for elders, I have had clients whose families do not speak of it, where it remained the elephant in the room. I have had others where it was openly discussed, and that always makes the situation much easier for all involved.

[wordpix]

10. this is what I'm finding, too

my mother had AD for 6 yrs. during which time I was her caregiver. I have two friends w/parents having the same early stage symptoms, but my friends say their parents haven't been diagnosed with AD, just dementia. Dementia is the umbrella word for various types of cognitive malfunctioning, AD being just one.

[mopinko]

6. that's disgusting.

i know that if i was diagnosed, i would not stick around for the worst of it. but what are your choices if you dont know early on?

[CountAllVotes]

9. I am almost certain this is what my grandmother had

I last seen her when I was 16 years old. She had everyone's names mixed up and did not seem to have a grip on reality and began having frightening hallucinations. This was c. 1970 or so.

A few years later my father went and got her and had her placed in a nursing home where she died a few months later.

She'd been living with my uncle and he stated that she had "arthritis of the brain" whatever that might be.

I think that "arthritis of the brain" = Alzheimer's Disease in hindsight.

[flamingdem]

14. Important thread

thanks.

There is shame involved with this disease. I'm not sure why but it must be to do with losing ones dignity. Well that will have to change since there are predictions that 50% of boomers will suffer from some form of it - mostly because we're living longer.