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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP back. Also, my MIL’s eyes. It’s sad, but even in photos there’s just no glimmer or liveliness - more of a vacant look in her eyes. She looks very tired (and I’m certain she’s not sleeping well).

My FIL is hung up on next steps and apparently wracked with indecision. He was told that further testing is needed (a spinal tap!) to make a more complete diagnosis and to get into studies (!) and possibly get the right meds prescribed. So, his new excuse is he doesn’t want MIL to be subjected to such procedures and is unsure if a specific diagnosis is going to help. It’s been almost a year since MIL was diagnosed with significant cognitive decline. Seems like it’s a wait and see/ignore/pretend everything’s fine.

I’m worried about my FIL and what the caretaking will do to his health.

I’m aware of the flawed study about amyloid plaques. So we’re all going in circles and that part is frustrating. [/quote]

FWIW the spinal tap is not what we envision from the 70s. It's minimally invasive these days. My dad had one recently.

Also FWIW further testing doesn't change anything regarding treatment, but it can change others' perceptions and expectations. After my dad was diagnosed with FTD, it put a lot of his behaviors into context. It also set our expectations for what he could and couldn't do, and it justified some things like taking away the car keys, which we had been debating for some time. It may also help you qualify for various forms of support and aid from the state or federal level.

Also, he was enrolled in a study at a nearby university, so I like to think that even in his decline is is contributing to the health and treatment of future patients. This would not have been possible without the more detailed diagnosis of FTD and not just "dementia."[/quote]

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