Ian Burton has always been an introvert
Dementia can be managed well if it is diagnosed from an early age. For 58 year old Ian, his wife Wendy's alertness helped his dementia get diagnosed at an early stage.
As per a report in the Express, Wendy Burton's husband of 36 years, Ian, experienced a change in his personality that alerted her to something being wrong as in 2013 he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
What is FTD?
FTD or frontotemporal dementia is an umbrella term for brain disorders which affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
In this disorder, portions of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink. The patients experience a dramatic change in their personality.
It is often mistaken for a psychiatric problem.
Frontotemporal dementia is also known as Pick's disease, named after Arnold Pick who first identified this disease in 1892. It is a myth that FTD is an age-driven mental health issue, the fact is that it can occur to anyone irrespective of the age.
"He started being very extroverted"
As per the media report, Wendy noticed a change in her husband when he started being an extrovert all of a sudden.
Ian, a reserved man with a good sense of humor, was working with Derbyshire Police until his dementia troubled him. "He then started being very extroverted, he wanted to be out all the time on long walks," Wendy told the media.
"He became uncaring"
Wendy recalls her husband became more uncaring and had started saying inappropriate things to people.
""He couldn't understand empathy, he couldn't plan anything which is why he was getting into trouble at work. It was a complete change in personality," she told the media.
Misdiagnosis
Initially the doctors thought he could be having a brain tumor, but the CT scans did not reveal anything.
Later on, his uncaring behaviour was blamed on aging and his diagnosis was completed.
It was when Wendy learned about FTD on a radio show she pushed the medical staff to investigate further.
He was diagnosed with FTD at the age of 49
Ian was diagnosed having FTD at the age of 49 and was given a life expectancy of 8 to 10 years.
He also developed type 2 diabetes later on as FTD caused him to develop a sweet tooth.
Currently Ian is being taken care of. He needs support with everything he does like walking, eating and getting washed. "He can't engage in anything. He might be looking at a book but he hasn't been able to speak for four years," Wendy told the media.
Frontotemporal dementia signs and symptoms
FTD is associated with antisocial behaviour like uncaring attitude, saying inappropriate things, or passing insensitive comments.
A major visible symptom of FTD is loss of speech.
As the disease progresses the patient experiences rigidity, muscle weakness, difficulty in swallowing, twitches and slowness.
Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with FTD
Months after disclosing his aphasia condition, actor Bruce Willis' family has confirmed that the actor is suffering from FTD.
“Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,” his family’s new statement said. “We know in our hearts that – if he could today – he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”
10 times blood sugar builds up surreptitiously (mostly due to these unhealthy habits)
Start a Conversation
Post comment