{"id":1728,"date":"2021-10-01T14:09:08","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T18:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/?p=1728"},"modified":"2023-06-15T14:27:37","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T18:27:37","slug":"the-early-signs-of-my-young-onset-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/the-early-signs-of-my-young-onset-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Early Signs of my Young Onset Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kindly put together by Crystal Favel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This list of symptoms was written by Crystal Favel and her husband. who at 48 is 5 years into a diagnosis of Young Onset Dementia and can be found on Instagram at @Chris_Kiyam<\/p>\n

We have left this list in Crystal\u2019s own words and spelling, as she so rightly said\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are grammar and spelling errors. We kept it in because it reminded us of how I was back then.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, now for her list of symptoms that she, and her husband, noticed between 2015 and 2019 as they began to realise the onset of Dementia was beginning\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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  1. Difficulty completing my thoughts.<\/b><\/li>\n
  2. Radical bad spelling of easy words has increased. Phenix \u2013 Rnexix. Hard to read and write more than 2 sentences.<\/b><\/li>\n
  3. Use double meaning words incorrectly. Hard to read and write more than 2 sentences.<\/b><\/li>\n
  4. Acute anxiety in crowds.<\/b><\/li>\n
  5. Flashbacks to grade 4 school experiences.<\/b><\/li>\n
  6. Crave unusual foods for me \u2013 \u201crecess sandwiches\u201d eating cheese sandwiches I used to eat in Grade 4 specifically that I have not eaten since public school.<\/b><\/li>\n
  7. Extreme fatigue everyday.<\/b><\/li>\n
  8. Very forgetful \u2013 can\u2019t remember questions people ask me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  9. Hearing too loud.<\/b><\/li>\n
  10. Hard to find the right words and spell them out loud.<\/b><\/li>\n
  11. Hard to recall previous conversations.<\/b><\/li>\n
  12. High blood pressure.<\/b><\/li>\n
  13. Hyper sensitive to the outside world.<\/b><\/li>\n
  14. Overwhelmed in crowds or just meeting new people.<\/b><\/li>\n
  15. I stutter sometimes trying to find the right word.<\/b><\/li>\n
  16. I am unable to walk long distances, be outside longer than 15 minutes at a time.<\/b><\/li>\n
  17. Brain games triggered my second brain attack approximately April 25, 2016.<\/b><\/li>\n
  18. Do not go out by myself.<\/b><\/li>\n
  19. Forget to take meds and which meds I have already taken.<\/b><\/li>\n
  20. Unable to handle high-pressure situations.<\/b><\/li>\n
  21. Unable to interact with crowds without panic attacks<\/b><\/li>\n
  22. Extreme frustration because I have difficulty finishing tasks ie, cleaning, packing boxes, grocery shopping.<\/b><\/li>\n
  23. Over stimulation causes head pain.<\/b><\/li>\n
  24. Hyper-emotional.<\/b><\/li>\n
  25. My husband helps me take baths, cook and general personal upkeep that I can\u2019t remember to do everyday.<\/b><\/li>\n
  26. Hide behind my husband and let him speak for me in public.<\/b><\/li>\n
  27. Extremely anti-social<\/b><\/li>\n
  28. Say harsh things sometimes to people I don\u2019t know, unknowingly.<\/b><\/li>\n
  29. I \u201cshhh\u201d children in public<\/b><\/li>\n
  30. I have left the stove on 2 times.<\/b><\/li>\n
  31. I have put my shoes on and stood in the hallway ready to go out but had no plans to go out.<\/b><\/li>\n
  32. I can handle about 10 minutes of tense critical thinking until my head pain starts.<\/b><\/li>\n
  33. My vision reading words is almost 3D and slightly wonky.<\/b><\/li>\n
  34. I act like a child when I\u2019m upset.<\/b><\/li>\n
  35. I left a plate in the chili crock-pot turned upside down just after I cooked it.<\/b><\/li>\n
  36. Less tolerance towards people in general, but especially rudeness \u2013 I become confrontational.<\/b><\/li>\n
  37. I hide my condition by avoiding face-to-face conversations.<\/b><\/li>\n
  38. Must wear a hat outdoors and avoid getting sunburn or overheated or I feel sunstroke.<\/b><\/li>\n
  39. Memories of public school as a child always come up.<\/b><\/li>\n
  40. Break down in panic attacks up to 5 times a day.<\/b><\/li>\n
  41. I like to put people in their place verbally if they cross my boundaries, but probably more severely than I should.<\/b><\/li>\n
  42. I try to pack up boxes but I don\u2019t know how to organize or decide to what goes in. I can start tasks but rarely finish the tasks because I am constantly forgetting what I was doing before. It takes time to recall why I am standing in the kitchen when I needed to use the bathroom.<\/b><\/li>\n
  43. I am afraid to socialize because people notice things about me that are different in person, as opposed to email.<\/b><\/li>\n
  44. I am scared to tell people about me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  45. I am no longer an extrovert, I\u2019m now the opposite of what I used to be, introvert.<\/b><\/li>\n
  46. I yell back at people in cars now.<\/b><\/li>\n
  47. I cry at least once a day in emotional outbursts, often times unwarranted.<\/b><\/li>\n
  48. I get severe headaches after conversations that last more than 15 mins.<\/b><\/li>\n
  49. I am dependent on my husbands care to get through the day.<\/b><\/li>\n
  50. It\u2019s hard to remember what I ate in the same day in order to remind myself to eat.<\/b><\/li>\n
  51. I don\u2019t trust people now; I think the world is purely ignorant about young people with invisible disabilities.<\/b><\/li>\n
  52. I can\u2019t remember when to take my meds nor which meds I have already taken.<\/b><\/li>\n
  53. I am deeply disturbed about the crisis I\u2019m in.<\/b><\/li>\n
  54. I am forgetting bank codes and ATM processes.<\/b><\/li>\n
  55. I don\u2019t feel like an adult in my brain.<\/b><\/li>\n
  56. Hard to answer questions under pressure or spontaneously.<\/b><\/li>\n
  57. I feel that animals are my closest source of calm and understanding.<\/b><\/li>\n
  58. I care too much about what people think unhealthily.<\/b><\/li>\n
  59. I am over-apologetic and over-thankful, very impulsive & repetitive.<\/b><\/li>\n
  60. I asked the same question up to 3 times in one day.<\/b><\/li>\n
  61. I wonder aimlessly in our place forgetting what I was supposed to do.<\/b><\/li>\n
  62. Very hard to sit still.<\/b><\/li>\n
  63. Beeping sounds from the construction next door for 2 years is driving my senses through the roof. From 7am \u2013 7pm, nonstop machinery beeping.<\/b><\/li>\n
  64. I have donated half of my clothes and crafts because I do not feel emotionally attached to my belongings anymore.<\/b><\/li>\n
  65. I can identify with the movie \u201cBeautiful Broken Brain\u201d because I am suffering.<\/b><\/li>\n
  66. I couldn\u2019t remember the chainsaw for months. Someone told me to use it in a sentence and it would help me. And it did. I am relearning language and how to recall the world. \u201cI saw a bicycle chain \u2013 Chainsaw.\u201d It is clear, I need to relearn many language and basic sentence rules.<\/b><\/li>\n
  67. I don\u2019t know how to work the calendar feature on my phone now. Before the brain injury it was easy to use.<\/b><\/li>\n
  68. I wish to isolate myself in nature to calm my brain saturation.<\/b><\/li>\n
  69. I went to the bank and couldn\u2019t understand what the teller was saying. I explained I have a brain injury and can\u2019t understand the terms she was reading off her computer. She then gave me a link to the document on the website so I could get my husband to read it later. I am unable to manage finances.<\/b><\/li>\n
  70. I stare off into voids and it\u2019s hard to come back to move on with the task at hand.<\/b><\/li>\n
  71. I feel like my body temperature rises way too fast and it makes my brain feel like I\u2019m wearing a motorcycle helmet. I used icepacks 2-3 times a day, and bring icepacks when we go out in the sun.<\/b><\/li>\n
  72. I hide behind my husband in public to avoid dealing with public.<\/b><\/li>\n
  73. I crave routine more than I have ever have.<\/b><\/li>\n
  74. Difficult to handle surprises; change in schedule, location, last minute decisions.<\/b><\/li>\n
  75. I get blocked from my thoughts when more than one person talks to me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  76. To avoid confrontations, I only speak 10% of the time.<\/b><\/li>\n
  77. I am avoiding phone calls because I don\u2019t want people to hear my deficiencies.<\/b><\/li>\n
  78. I wake up in the middle of the night because of the pressure I feel in my brain cause headaches that require ice to soothe me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  79. Ice packs are a main source of immediate comfort.<\/b><\/li>\n
  80. Sometimes I feel like there is a metal rod through my left eyebrow and it\u2019s stabbing intermittently.<\/b><\/li>\n
  81. Acute headaches feel like my brain is swollen beyond my skull.<\/b><\/li>\n
  82. I don\u2019t have support any from my extended family.<\/b><\/li>\n
  83. I am always unsure about what I\u2019m going to say next.<\/b><\/li>\n
  84. I get extremely itchy on my face when I get over-heated.<\/b><\/li>\n
  85. Constant word mix up. \u2013 Used \u2013 sued.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
  86. Can\u2019t think more than 2 steps ahead in my daily routine.<\/b><\/li>\n
  87. My senses have been heightened especially my hearing. Everything is amplified too much to handle.<\/b><\/li>\n
  88. Lost ability to reason emotionally most of the time.<\/b><\/li>\n
  89. Anxiety increased drastically.<\/b><\/li>\n
  90. Forget what I talk about half way through the conversation.<\/b><\/li>\n
  91. I have difficulty remembering from my past and anything that happened before my first brain attack.<\/b><\/li>\n
  92. Black void in my speech patterns, unable to find the right words.<\/b><\/li>\n
  93. I don\u2019t trust myself alone outside without my husband.<\/b><\/li>\n
  94. I am personally broke and unable to care for myself.<\/b><\/li>\n
  95. I am unable to lift more than 10 pounds without feeling extreme head pressure in my brain.<\/b><\/li>\n
  96. I have difficulty remembering appointments and have been late unknowingly.<\/b><\/li>\n
  97. I am unable to go to the dentist to avoid triggering my headaches.<\/b><\/li>\n
  98. I bring icepacks to wherever I go.<\/b><\/li>\n
  99. I am not the same personality as I was before September 2015 because I\u2019m timid, awkward and miss social cues.<\/b><\/li>\n
  100. I have only been out once to a BBQ social gathering since my brain injury and I cried twice that night because the kids and hectic happenings triggered panic attacks. Really no logical triggers existed at the time.<\/b><\/li>\n
  101. Recently, I had 5 panic attacks in one day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
  102. My flight or fight impulses prevent me from interacting with society to apply for jobs.<\/b><\/li>\n
  103. I\u2019m genuinely afraid of confronting men because they come off as aggressive when I\u2019m trying to talk.<\/b><\/li>\n
  104. I feel that I\u2019m in crisis 3 times a week.<\/b><\/li>\n
  105. I can only read one page in my book until it brings on painful headaches.<\/b><\/li>\n
  106. I have lost my independence and potential to work because I cannot remember details that are givin to me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  107. I feel lost and shame that I am broken.<\/b><\/li>\n
  108. I am unable to travel alone or go to the hospital appt\u2019s alone.<\/b><\/li>\n
  109. My life is crumbling before my eyes and there is nothing I can do about it.<\/b><\/li>\n
  110. If I were to have children I think it would kill me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  111. I can use my toothbrush but I have to be reminded to brush my teeth.<\/b><\/li>\n
  112. I need help getting in and out of the bathtub.<\/b><\/li>\n
  113. I have lost important glasses, keys, phone and meds because I cannot remember where I placed them. I literally draw a blank looking for items and where they might be.<\/b><\/li>\n
  114. I rarely sleep through the night without nightmares. My sleep is interrupted often and it\u2019s hard to get back to sleep.<\/b><\/li>\n
  115. I feel exhausted when I wake up.<\/b><\/li>\n
  116. I find it incredibly difficult to fill out forms.<\/b><\/li>\n
  117. I still don\u2019t know what the word \u201cexcept\u201d means even though I have looked it up in the dictionary. I cannot remember.<\/b><\/li>\n
  118. I feel off balance when I walk and it makes me bang into furniture.<\/b><\/li>\n
  119. I drop keys, drinking glasses, hats, etc. because I can\u2019t seem to focus on holding them.<\/b><\/li>\n
  120. I lose focus when people try to talk to me.<\/b><\/li>\n
  121. I can still drive locally very well.<\/b><\/li>\n
  122. I would never take public transportation without my husband. I would only be able to last an hour.<\/b><\/li>\n
  123. I still suffer from IBS pain attacks<\/b><\/li>\n
  124. Difficult to communicate my medical needs to the Pharmicist, not knowing which pills to order and how. I had to identify myself as someone with a brain injury and she was very understanding to explain a few times.<\/b><\/li>\n
  125. Constantly pouring cups of milk and leaving them out around the apartment forgetting where I left them.<\/b><\/li>\n
  126. Poured out hot margarine down the sink instead of just straining it into a bowl as originally planned.<\/b><\/li>\n
  127. I have put a green sticker on my key that opens our apt door because I can\u2019t remember which key to use every time we walk up to the door.<\/b><\/li>\n
  128. Poured water onto my hand instead of into a cup.<\/b><\/li>\n
  129. Watching murder, rape, civil disobedience documentaries, never have done that before.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
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    We are so grateful to Crystal for sharing this extensive list with us and we know that this will be gratefully received by many of you who can recognise similar symptoms.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Crystal is on Instagram \u2013 @Chris_Kiyam<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Kindly put together by Crystal Favel This list of symptoms was written by Crystal Favel and her husband. who at 48 is 5 years into a diagnosis of Young Onset Dementia and can be found on Instagram at @Chris_Kiyam We have left this list in Crystal\u2019s own words and spelling, as she so rightly said\u2026 \u201cThere […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dementiatlc-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1728\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allhomecarematters.com\/api-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}