Posts by Kevin Edwards35

The only thing that actually helps my mom is Zomig.

Look, you’ve got to explain to the older folks that there could be a million different reasons behind this. Some things are actually easy to fix—and some aren't. But here’s the kicker: if you just sit there watching without acting, those "fixable" issues can quickly turn into permanent damage. Most doctors will probably jump straight to an Alzheimer's diagnosis at first glance, but let's be real—nobody knows for sure until you run actual tests and get concrete data. Once you have a real diagnosis, you'll know how to actually handle your grandpa, which is huge if you want him to feel comfortable. You can't use a one-size-fits-all approach with patients. If he truly does have Alzheimer's, you’re going to have to learn that when he eventually cooks up something completely inedible for lunch and serves it to you, you just have to smile and say "thanks." It's about managing the situation. That’s why knowing exactly what you're dealing with is so vital. Primarily, it matters because some causes of this behavior are actually treatable—and honestly, that's what everyone wants. You can't just sit on your hands and pretend none of this is happening.

Word on the street is the brain research center has the most powerful scanner out there, though I’m not entirely sure if they specialize strictly in brain MRIs. They're charging $613. Over at Sun, you're looking at about $667 if you need contrast—assuming you don't already have a standing order on file. (And honestly, you shouldn't have to open a whole new file just for an MRI.) Just a heads-up, if you book right now, the earliest openings at most hospitals aren't until July. I actually checked this last week.

mistyhound2 said:It’s honestly laughable that you’re dropping such a highly specialized question on a bunch of laypeople—people who probably don't know a thing about dementia beyond hearing the name Alzheimer's once. For your information, there are over 100 different types of dementia out there. If you want an actual answer, go ask an experienced geriatrician who actually specializes in this stuff—assuming they can even get a full medical history from you. 🙂

It is genuinely ridiculous that you're looking down on the info available here, or the chance to swap experiences, recommendations, and advice. Look, I'm obviously not expecting anyone to jump in and say, "Yep, the diagnosis is 100% X." But thanks to this thread, I've picked up details that might actually be useful. And for what it's worth, I've also passed along doctor recommendations to others. You really think I haven't spent the last year seeing top-tier neurologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychiatrists, and toxicologists? 🙂 Right now, I don't need the patronizing. 😉

urbanjackal12 said:How's their motor skills? Is there that vacant, "lost" look in their eyes? You really need to get them to a neurologist and run a brain CT. Honestly, we spent so much time chasing our tails with different doctors because we just weren't ready to face the idea of Alzheimer's with my mom—we were totally in denial. It was a huge waste of precious time. Check out alzheimer.org and make sure an actual Alzheimer's specialist looks at them.

Alzheimer's is definitely off the table here. We've already done the brain CT, seen several neurologists, and gone through multiple rounds of testing specifically for Alzheimer's. So, this isn't some case of us being in denial or trying to rationalize things.

Yeah, they initially suspected all those degenerative diseases, but there isn't one single "textbook" symptom that points to any of them. Instead, you get this weird overlap—one symptom from one condition, one from another. It creates this total contradiction where a symptom from one disease essentially cancels out the other; for example, it’s like saying it’s impossible for someone with Alzheimer to pass certain short-term memory tests while simultaneously failing the specific ones that define Alzheimer.
It’s a massive headache for us, and honestly, just as much for the doctors.

And how far are we willing to go? Well—as far as our options allow.

invisible f said:What exactly makes them so sure it isn't Alzheimer's? Brain atrophy doesn't necessarily show up right at the start...

They ran the tests through alzheimer.org—it's official. Besides, her memory issues don't even fit the typical Alzheimer's profile. Plus, at her age, Alzheimer's would be moving way too fast; there's just no way she could have cleared those diagnostic tests she took.

Charles Edwards8 said:How old are we talking here? And what kind of meds has she been on up to this point? Any history of addiction? Or maybe it's vascular dementia—you know, those tiny, asymptomatic micro-strokes that fly under the radar?

Or maybe we're looking at a case where psychiatric issues are being mislabeled as dementia (maybe a psychiatrist missed something)😉—has she had her thyroid checked yet?

She's 55. Medically speaking, nothing major—just chronic migraines her whole life. She takes Zomig for those, but no, it's definitely not side effects from the Zomig. No substance abuse, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke.
Vascular dementia is off the table too. Most doctors have pretty much agreed that this is organic—meaning something physical is actually going wrong in the body, like a hormone imbalance where something is being overproduced or underproduced.

Psychological causes aren't it either. After dealing with psychiatrists who were basically just throwing schizophrenia meds at her because they'd say, "We don't know what's wrong, so just take this," we finally found a top-tier specialist. She isn't psychotic.

Thyroid levels, ultrasounds, scans—everything comes back normal.

So far, none of the tests are showing anything out of the ordinary.

Symptoms: Memory issues, getting lost easily, and a noticeable decline in cognitive function.
We’ve already ruled out Alzheimer, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, and similar conditions. Brain tumors? Out. Psychological causes? Ruled out too. Most of the doctors we've seen pretty much agree that this is an organic issue. We've been running tests for over a year now—everything comes back looking perfectly normal. But let me tell you, it's obvious that something is seriously wrong.
We're running out of options here.
What kind of chemical imbalances could be at play? It isn't B12 deficiency, and it's not hormonal...
Is there some specific specialist we might have overlooked who deals with cases exactly like this?

Swapped it out for plastic today. A bright red one, at that. 😍 😁
It’s lighter, smaller, actually fits in my tennis bag 😁 and won't freak out if it gets wet 🙂
$93

They told me $117 😁 I'm going with the plastic

So, I broke my leg.

I’m heading in this Friday to get my cast sorted, and the folks over at the Chicago Trauma Center mentioned I could opt for one of those plastic waterproof ones instead of the standard plaster. (Of course, my insurance won't cover the extra cost for that 😍).

Is that really the only catch? Has anyone here actually dealt with different types of casts before? 😁