Change in interests - What to make of this?
My husband was dx 2 years ago with early alzs. So many times, it doesn't seem to fit. Then, "there it is." Lately he has ordered many fake flowers and baskets...lots really! Says he just doesn't want to deal with live plants because they are too hard to keep up. In the almost 12 years that I have known him he has enjoyed planting and caring for flowers, plants. So, I have some concerns, questions about what may be going on with him.
Is this just part of the disease process? Should I be concerned?
And yes, honestly, I do tend to be a worry wart kind of gal. Note: I am pretty alone in this journey. Thank you.
thank you so much for reaching out. Both of my parents had Alzheimer's disease. My dad was diagnosed when I was in college. I was a care taker for both and for my mom. I was my mom's sole caretaker. I was very alone in the process also. So I could relate to what you said. One of my teammate's wrote a great article on the emotional rollercoaster of being a care caregiver. I have attached the article link below. Honestly, this is one of my favorite articles on our site. https://alzheimersdisease.net/living/emotional-rollercoaster-caring-alzheimers.
I am really glad that you are part of our community. Always feel free to post and ask questions on here. Support is key. I found that even though I was pretty alone in my journey with my parents, that support was necessary. Another one of my teammate's wrote an article on support groups. There is such power in communities like ours and support groups. https://alzheimersdisease.net/living/ways-to-cope-when-it-gets-tough. I also have provided a link for support groups through the Alzheimer's Association. https://www.alz.org/help-support/community/support-groups.
Honestly, your husband's changes regarding real versus fake plants, I am sure is alarming to you. Alzheimer's Disease is such an interesting disease. The disease presented differently in my dad than my mom. There were some major similarities, however also differences.
This is purely an educated guess and just based off things I have experienced as a care giver. Your husband may notice things that he hasn't talked about. Because he has such a love for real life plants, it makes sense that if he is noticing differences, that he doesn't want to not take care of the plant. So he understands that he can still enjoy plants, buying fake plants. All without the pressure of having to remember to water or check their soil. His love for plants is still there.
That being said whenever my parents started to show changes I wrote them down and dated the entry. When I went to the their Neurologist appts, I would ask questions and bring up some changes I seen. I used my judgement on this, if it was a significant change impacting daily life then I would reach out right away to the Dr. and if not I waited to ask.
I really appreciate that you are part of our community. Please know you are not alone. Our site has many community members who live with the disease, work with those who have Alzheimers disease, or have or were care givers. Many different perspectives and many levels of experienced caring individuals on this site. Just Keep Swimming...Lynn Marie, "AlzheimersDisease.net Team Member"
Thank you for your question. I certainly cannot give out medical advice, but had a couple of thoughts. When your husband was diagnosed, did his doctor give you any advice on what to look for and how to manage symptoms? Have you seen a doctor since the original diagnosis? I had many of the same questions that only got answered when I made some follow up appointments with a neurologist. I think getting more support in the community could really help you. I hope this helps. Scott Team Member
