Family noticed something was off with 41-year-old dad — it led to a heartbreaking discovery
When you notice signs and symptoms that might seem insignificant, it is crucial to research and act accordingly. A 41-year-old dad named Fraser was able to uncover a heartbreaking diagnosis after his family noticed his symptoms, per PEOPLE. His wife and children noticed different things about him that felt strange and over a period of time, they were able to conclude what the problem really was. His journey, right from being confused and in denial to accepting and understanding his diagnosis, is resonating with many. Sharing the story of how his diagnosis unfolded in a video on YouTube, the dad mentioned that it was first very subtle.
The first symptom arose when the dad was with his partner, watching a movie. The man was initially watching alone when his wife joined him and said that they had watched the movie a month ago. Fraser was a little confused but continued and completed the movie nonetheless. “I watched the whole movie and the ending was still a complete surprise. I had no memory of watching it whatsoever,” he mentioned. The dad added that he wasn’t watching too many movies at the time, so not recalling the plot was concerning, but he didn’t think much of it back then.
Much later, he started having problems with recalling information and even thinking. “I've got teenage daughters and I guess I started dropping the ball a little in terms of just knowing what's on their schedule, what's on their plans,” he explained. Fraser then recalled a frightful memory that made him and his family realize that something was up. One of his daughters informed him that she would be going to the movies and would be out late. Despite repeating it throughout the day, he couldn't recall when it was night. “I started freaking out thinking, ‘Where's my daughter?’ I was genuinely freaking out,” he said.
“I was driving to a nearby town, trying to see from other friends if she was with them or if they’d heard from her,” he added. Things got so worrisome that the dad was even going to call the police. With several other issues like forgetting how the trolleys worked at his local supermarket, memory issues at work and brain fog, the dad was confused and couldn’t get himself to comprehend what was happening. In another video, he revealed that his he was eventually probed to get a few tests done. “My kids just said, ‘Everyone has memory issues, they forget stuff in everyday life. We just noticed that you were doing them more frequently,'” Fraser shared.
The dad, who is in his early stages of dementia, shared in another video that the early stages are heartbreaking. “You will be certain you have it and certain you don’t have it,” he wrote. He added that there can be good days and bad ones too and that each person’s journey is different. So far, his journey has been a rollercoaster, trying to accept and plan the way forward. However, he is taking things one step at a time, documenting all the ups and downs for fellow dementia patients and their caregivers. @wesleywade8363 said, “Your message is powerful and meaningful. Thank you for reminding us that we are not alone on this journey.” @MelBee-mwm15 added, “This is more impactful than any words and stirs up so many emotions for those of us that are or have been caregivers to those with dementia or Alzheimer’s.”
You can follow Fraser (@YoungerOnsetDementia) on YouTube for more information on dementia and his journey