A 41-year-old man with early-onset Alzheimer’s has shared some advice for others who may be experiencing similar symptoms.
While he may have only been diagnosed in the last year, Fraser said it probably started for him about two/two-and-a-half years before.
The dad has taken to YouTube to open up about living with the condition, sharing his experience and diagnosis.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK and is a progressive condition, meaning the symptoms gradually develop over years and eventually become more severe. The first sign tends to be minor memory problems.
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Fraser said he remembers having some ‘pretty big memory flaws’ before starting to have issues with cognition.
And in his video, he explained the urgent action you should take if you think you’re experiencing symptoms.
The man said when he was speaking with a specialist nurse and medical professionals, he found it ‘very difficult’ to report on his symptoms.
Fraser admitted it was tough to give ‘accurate information’ particularly when asked how long he’d been having the symptoms as he explained the benefit of the specific thing his wife does that helped him to track it.
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“She’s very vigilant with sending me text messages. Just in everyday life if we’re talking about a topic, if something’s important - even when it’s not that important - she’ll text and she’s always been that way,” he said.
“But it proved really handy because then we could actually look through the history of the text messages and we could identify, ‘Oh, that’s the first time she mentioned anything about my memory concerns or memory issues’.”
Fraser described this record of messages as ‘really helpful’ as he advised: “So if you are experiencing symptoms and etc, send a text message and talk about it there.
“Because you just will forget timelines, I suspect, if you’re like me.”
Text messages are also something the dad uses to help with his symptoms in everyday life. After a scary incident of forgetting his daughter had gone out with friends, his teen girls now text him to let him know their plans even if they’ve verbally told him.
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Early-onset Alzheimer's can affect people as young as in their 30s or 40s, and while there is no cure, an early diagnosis can improve quality of life.
According to the NHS, around one in every 13 people with Alzheimer's disease are under the age of 65.
If you've been affected by dementia or Alzheimer's and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer’s Society via 0333 150 3456 or visit their website for more information.
Jess Battison