Hi, Gord!  Recently you wrote in a message to James Bradley:

GH>  Alzheimer's can not be accurately diagnosed until the
GH>  "patient" is dead and an autopsy of the brain is done.


          So I understand.  For various reasons, however, the
"educated guess" about a situation like this may be (almost)
welcome.  In the case of the man I mentioned earlier, the family seemed
pleased that they had a name to attach to his condition & that the
result would be fairly predictable.  With an official diagnosis it's easier
to get help, and there are advantages in knowing what to look for.  OTOH...
as with cancer... it may be easier for others to think they know what will
happen & thus encourage the patient to deteriorate on schedule.



GH>  My step mother has no clue of who I am if I or some of
GH>  her other kids for that matter came into the room and
GH>  has a hard time recognizing her grand children


          Toward the end of her life my mother forgot certain personal details
... e.g. she was able to identify a woman she hadn't seen for several years
as her niece in recounting a story, then she turned to me for help in
adding this woman's name.  Others may remember a name & forget the
customary descriptor of the relationship.  I'm told that our elderly friend
remembered his son's name, but introduced his son as his brother.  The
medical diagnosis was different in each case.  As a teacher, however, I see
that problems with word retrieval are often interpreted as lack of
comprehension.  I can give additional examples to show why I think some
people have more understanding than others realize & how family &
friends may be able to use it productively, if you're interested.

          Dallas & I got an idea from a TV interview which may be worth
trying in various situations.  Somebody who had a relative diagnosed with
Alzheimer's said this person knew who he was whenever he brought along with
him a photo of himself at a younger age.  If long-term memory is easier to
access than short- term memory, as it is for many older folks, that makes
sense.  And if the kids seem to make more of an impression on Grandma than
middle-aged adults... maybe it's partly because kids are better able to
relate to Grandma on her own level without judgement & without
comparisons to the past or concern for the future.



GH>  The person we knew is gone and we can not say good bye
GH>  because the body is still alive.


          As a social worker in extended care said to me, people's bodies
tend to outlast their brains nowadays where things used to be the other way
around. Another d*mned learning experience, I suppose!  Hang in there.... 
:-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+