Radically transformed by Alzheimer’s, in just four years

Patricia Gilbert learned she had Alzheimer’s when she was only 47 years old. Little affected by the disease and full of energy, she had agreed to speak to journalist Harold Gagné about this early diagnosis about four years ago.

• Read also: Living with Alzheimer’s at age 47

She said young people with the disease refused to talk about it, but she wanted to.

“I want to remove this taboo. It is not a dishonor. It’s a disease, “he explained quite frankly at the time.

Since then, the disease has completely transformed Patricia Gilbert, who is now 51 years old. Although he had maintained regular contact with the journalist Harold Gagné, with whom he had spoken on the phone, he had not recognized him the last time they met.

The working husband, Normand, quit his job to take care of his wife full time.

The last few weeks have been particularly difficult for Patricia and her partner due to the adjustment of medications. Patricia was very anxious, she slept little, just like her husband.

CLSC provides them with around eight hours of help per week, but the couple would like more, given Patricia’s frail health.

A recently published federal government policy document indicates that caregivers of someone with dementia are twice as likely to need psychological help.

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Patricia’s husband admits it: “It’s difficult psychologically, because the person you love. It seems you can silently see that you are losing this person. The body cuts off access to that person, to go to his heart, “he says.

What helps Normand is that the couple’s neighbor, who lives in Saint-Anselme, Quebec, picks up Patricia for a 45-minute walk each day.

“We take advantage of the walk, sometimes he says to me: ‘Oh, my Alzheimer’s …” I told her: “Look, we’re lucky, we can walk” “explains Huguette Bolduc.

As it gets harder and harder, Norman hopes to stay with Patricia for as long as possible.

“You want, you don’t want, the person, you love him, huh?” Here, calmly see that you have lost this person. The body stops accessing his heart, his soul. You know, the dreams of healing, they subside. It seems that you no longer believe it “, he concludes.