Off The Record
A 49-Year-Old Man With Dementia Describes The Slight Shift In His Work That Led Him To Recognize The Problem
Many people begin to consider retiring in their late 40s, but regrettably, for one man, retirement didn’t happen when he expected it to.
At the age of 49, Peter Alexander was diagnosed with dementia, namely frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is the same type of dementia that has recently affected Wendy Williams and Bruce Willis.
Sadly, it meant that Peter, who lives with his wife Jill in Northern Ireland, had to quit his work in order to focus on his health.
What is frontotemporal dementia?
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is “an umbrella term for a group of brain diseases that mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain,” according to the Mayo Clinic. These brain regions are linked to language, conduct, and personality.
“In frontotemporal dementia, parts of these lobes shrink, known as atrophy,” the outlet states. “Symptoms depend on which part of the brain is affected. Some people with frontotemporal dementia have changes in their personalities.”
“They become socially inappropriate and may be impulsive or emotionally indifferent. Others lose the ability to properly use language.”
A subtle change to his work ethic was the first sign
Peter first noticed it while he was working, and it became clear with a slight shift in his work ethic, even though he was unaware that the problem would turn out to be dementia.
He told BBC News, “I was starting to struggle to meet deadlines [at work], which had never been a problem before, and during meetings, I wouldn’t be able to think of a word when speaking.”
He therefore scheduled a visit with a neurologist, and it was during that examination that the Englishman learned the truth.
“I remember the date very clearly; it was 14 January 2018 when the results came back and the doctor said, ‘Peter, I have diagnosed you with having frontotemporal dementia,'” he added.
“I was basically told that it was no longer safe for me to work because I have diminished judgment and I was losing my filter, so it was a lot to adapt to.”
‘I’m still Peter’
The 56-year-old Peter continued by saying that it’s “imperative that people actually see the person, see beyond the condition” and that he doesn’t want to be treated any differently.
“People think when you have dementia it’s only about forgetting things but it’s more complex, it can manifest in different ways,” he said.
“Sadly for many people, the diagnosis can take an awful long time and that puts an enormous amount of pressure on the family unit.”
He asserted, however, that he has not changed on the inside, saying, “I might not always be able to express it in the same way, but I’m still the same person I was, inside I’m still Peter.”
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