Alzheimer's at 40

Man Suffers From Alzheimer's at 40
POSTED July 7 2009 Mark Priddy was just 36 years old when doctors diagnosed him with early-onset Alzheimer's four years ago.
The devastating disease is extremely rare in someone his age, and his wife, Dione, told London's Daily Mail she wishes doctors had found the cause of his bizarre behavior earlier because she would have been "kinder and more patient."
"Early-onset Alzheimer's is so rare that I can understand why Mark's symptoms went undiagnosed," said Dione, 40. "But if we'd known earlier, we'd all have been saved so much anguish."

The couple, who married in 1997 and live in Britain, have two daughters, ages 11 and 12. Mark's strange behavior started as early as 2002, when he started to panic when his wife left the house, and become forgetful.

His condition worsened, and the once successful real estate agent started to forget business meetings and have terrible mood swings. He was quickly hired and fired from seven different jobs, the Mail reported.

A doctor diagnosed him with depression, but anti-depressants didn't help.
Finally, in 2005, doctors said the problem was Alzheimer's. Two and a half years ago, when he started to take out his frustration with violence, Dione had her husband admitted to a nursing home, where he has lived ever since.

Posted on the web by:

Dr Fenibo Braide
Psychotherapist