(ABC6 News) – Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) It is a brain disease that changes a person’s very existence..
This condition can lead to devastating changes in the behavior of those who suffer, including inappropriate behavior and poor decisions.
People diagnosed with FTD may experience speech problems, body tremors, loss of coordination, and even difficulty swallowing. After all, a diagnosis means a shortened life expectancy.
Dementia may have once been thought of as a disease of the elderly, but several diagnoses that have recently gained attention have shed light on dementia and how it can affect anyone of any age. It sheds new light on what is possible.
“He could have had a better life. He could have planned ahead. He could have gotten a little more help around the house and made his life less stressful. ” Deborah Sharpner said of Tommy’s journey as a family member.
Tommy Nash of Osage, Iowa, started showing symptoms of FTD around 2011. The PET scan ended an almost five-year research journey. Doctors diagnosed him with FTD at age 44.
“I think it was more of a devastation where we said, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen?’” At the time, it was 2015, and things had come this far. “What we were told in 2015 was to go home and get our affairs in order,” Deborah said when asked if she remembered the moment the doctors diagnosed Tommy. Ta.
He currently lives in an assisted living facility in Newtown, Iowa, two and a half hours away from his home. Doctors say awareness of FTD isn’t the only thing lacking.as Dr. Heike Schmolk, Neurologist at MercyOne It says:
“I would definitely say that there is a lack of training for this particular disease in our facility. It’s possible that FTD is a specialized facility because we don’t have a specialized facility for FTD.”
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Celebrities like Wendy Williams and Bruce Willis have come forward, and more may come forward in the future, so no one has to be alone.
— RELATED: Wendy Williams diagnosed with same type of dementia as Bruce Willis —
“When people are diagnosed with this disease, they often haven’t heard anything about it. So we want to raise awareness among the public that there are other diseases besides Alzheimer’s that can affect young people. I think it’s important to do that.”
Deborah wants to remind people that they can hear the right answers about what’s going on and that their loved ones are there to help.
“When you start to get dementia, you think that you’re okay and normal. You have to understand in your gut that what you’re doing is right and that you need to go find the right answers. , don’t stop until you get the answer.”
The Sharper and Nash families use their experiences to help others by participating in activities such as: Frontotemporal Degeneration Association.
A family meet-and-greet will be held at Four Daughters of Spring Valley on Saturday, March 23, to meet other families who may be going through the same experience.The event begins at 1 p.m.
