"One feature that distinguishes DLB (Dementia with Lewy Bodies) from other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, is clear fluctuations in an individual's attention and alertness." Mayo Clinic Patient Education.
We have been experiencing a few days of increased lucidity, so yesterday I asked Dwane how he thought he was doing, and he replied that he thought he had "lost a lot of ground in the last couple weeks." When asked what he has noticed, he says he has more trouble with groping for words. As an observer, it is interesting that he is more aware of his decline in these periods of lucidity, but these periods of lucidity are actually a time when his decline is less apparent. Perhaps the periods of lucidity put him in a place of more awareness of his overall condition, as he has been in a decline all winter. It is nice to have him "back" to talk with, to feel like there is a partnership in this disease process. We talked about how frightening this is for both of us.
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