Who, you might ask, is Lewy?

The short and sweet answer is that Dr. Lewy and Dr. Alzheimer were working together when Dr. A found the tangles in the brain cells which are characteristic of the symptoms we know of as Alzeheimer's Disease. Dr. Lewy identified a second type of dementia, characterized by structures in the brain cells which are now known as Lewy Bodies. Dementia with Lewy Bodies is a lot like Alzheimers, but symptoms come and go, become more intense and less so, from day to day and sometimes from hour to hour. (Can I say minute to minute?) It is the third most common type of dementia.

Not sure where this adventure will take us, but my husband Ranney was diagnosed with DLB (shortcut) this past fall. To most of us it seemed a sudden thing, but looking back, we could identify occurrences that were definite signs that this was coming.

In this blog we will chronicle some of the heartbreaks and humor that come up when living with DLB. And yes, humor, we laugh, often.

Thursday 11 February 2016

Three parts

There are three main sets of symptoms of Dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Memory problems

Parkinsonlike symptoms

Hallucinations--acting out dreams

We have seen all at one time or another.


4 comments:

  1. Hugs to you! My Dad has DLB. For a few years he was treated soley as having Parkinsons but a new doctor diagnosed him with DLB two years ago. I believe they now say he has Parkinsons with DLB. Confusing sometimes. Its an interesting dementia.

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    1. When the Parkinson's symptoms are present for a period of time before the memory loss and hallucinations/dreams/weird behaviors come, then it is designated that way. Kind of an add on to the Parkinsons. My Dad had Parkinsons for many years but not the dementia.

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  2. I miss seeing your smiling face (and very productive station) in the sewing room at Gwinwood. Know that you and Ranney are in my nightly prayers.
    Diane M.

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  3. Thoughts are with ev1 who has any form of Dementia, also their Partners.

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