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DH qualified on application for an early dementia/Alzheimer study and medication. In person, however, he managed to ace the exam. Even though he has a severe family history of Alzheimer's with his mother and grandmother he insists he is fine, and many people remain in the beginning stages for several years, as did his mother. In hind-sight we realize his mother probably started sometime around the year she retired at 65, then slowly declined until the last five years of rapid change. Certainly no one desires to acknowledge the possibility that they are "slipping". DH knows there is medication to help delay the severity of the disease, but refuses to acknowledge any problems.

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How in the world do you qualify for Alzheimer's study (unless it is accepting well people of a certain age) but "ace an exam". Acing an exam for Alzheimer's is not easy. In fact, as a nurse, 20 years ago I would stand at the side of a patient when a neurologist was doing some questions and say "You better not ask ME that, as I couldn't pass". If your husband is acing exams given for Alzheimer's, I must say I believe he does not HAVE Alzheimer's at this point. Why do you believe that he does.
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Geaton777 Sep 2019
He's probably saw a call for participant volunteers either in his building, or an email, there are many ways to find out about studies. It's probably conducted by a research entity or pharmaceutical company (if he's going to be given medication or a placebo). They have to give him a baseline test. The "acing" thing my be some humor?
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What signs/symptoms is he exhibiting that convince *you* that he has Alzheimer's?

We have a family member who was accepted into and participates yearly in an Alzheimer's study. She has Alzheimer's and it shows on her brain scans. Has your husband's brain been scanned??
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The study was funded by a pharmaceutical company who advertised for volunteers. "Aced the exam" was DH's words. I see a drastic change within the last six months coinciding with his retirement. It's not depression. He forgets where he is driving, tries to turn left against a red light with cars whizzing by right and left, cannot answer simple questions at home, and is frequently "spaced out", but not daydreaming. This column has awakened me to the fact that many people can fake it long enough to satisfy a medical exam and answer questions correctly, then relax back into their regular routine back at home. As I stated, we realized many things with his mother in hind sight and he is repeating some of her ALZ behavior without realizing it. One of his mother's symptoms was being in "her own little world". We thought at the time it was a lack of interest in the world around her coupled with a severe lack of education. Not so with DH. There's no reason for him to be "spaced out". Naturally I would like to see DH seek help to possibly delay the disease.
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Given that his man is a doctor it is possible that he is aware of the questions on many tests for "memory and function" so I can see how someone like that could pass some of these tests.
Is there a doctor friend that he trusts and likes? Could you talk to this person and have them talk to your husband and give you an opinion as to what they think? Then discuss this with your husbands doctor.
It does sound like he should not be driving and it most certainly sounds like he should not be practicing any longer.
This might be one of his biggest fears that if he is "officially" diagnosed his life as he knows it is over. He will no longer be a doctor, something that has defined his life. And I am sure in his years of practice he has see the worst of what happens, not just to the patient but to the family, and this is a heavy burden to carry.
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