My dad was diagnosed with Stage 1 Alzheimer's last month. And the other day I talked to him on the phone and he didn't know who I was, so I told him who I was. And u asked him the day and he was unaware of it. Then he told me about a fight (mind u never happened) he has fallen twice. Legs ankles and hands are swelling. Memory loss. Talking about my grandmother who has passed away. He is agitated. Please and thank you.
One really can't diagnose Stage 1 Alzheimer's, because there are no symptoms in Stage 1. It is the pre-dementia stage. Since the forgetfulness came on suddenly, I would suspect either a UTI or another metabolic imbalance. He needs medical assistance today.
Lewy Body does not generally involve wandering. Alzheimer's does. Maybe Alzheimer's is worse.
Lewy Body often includes hallucinations and delusions very early in the disease. In Alzheimer's they tend to occur much later, if at all. Maybe Lewy Body is worse.
Each kind of dementia has its own set of symptoms and behaviors. It is not possible to lay them out on a scale from bad to worst.
It also entirely possible to have more than one kind of dementia.
We don't get choices. It is what it is, and we deal with the symptoms our loved ones have.
My husband died of Lewy Body Dementia. I was glad he didn't wander. I was glad he didn't forget people even at the very end. Was I glad he had LBD instead of ALZ? Nope. Neither is "better" to have.
Is he taking medicine for the high blood pressure and the high cholesterol? Is he on any kind of diabetic friendly diet? Who is his medical POA? If it is you, you may want to go with him to the clinic and talk to the doctor. Dad will have to sign a HIPAA form saying it is okay to talk to you. See if you can get him to drink more fluids (not beer or cokes, they don't count), elevate his legs when he's sitting, lay off the processed foods for a while (lunch meat, hot dogs) and cut way down on using salt at the table. A little exercise never hurt anyone either, if he'll take a walk or even lift his legs off the recliner every once in a while. Good luck!
There are some great information on this thread, but if I may offer a little different take on the swelling matter. Maybe someone else can chime in too. I have seen at least 6 people that I know personally, one including myself, who has seen a doctor about swelling of the hands and/or feet. They call it edema. I have Type I diabetes, but the edema was not considered a medical issue of concern. I complained about it to my GP and 2 separate Endocrinologist and none of them thought it was serious and not even worth treating. Two of these are top in their field. An senior that I know was told my her doctor that edema was not a medical problem. He sent her home. I know others who were given fluid pills, which I was eventually, or given nothing and told it wasn't a problem. These doctors are not quacks and some work out very prestigious medical schools. So, I guess sometimes the edema can be a warning sign and other times it might not.
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