🎵 Let’s Get It Started – When Something Isn’t Right (Black Eyed Peas)
- jessica97150
- Feb 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 9
If you’ve landed here, it’s likely because something in your life has shifted.
Your spouse.
Your parent.
Someone you love.
Maybe they’ve been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s (EOA)…or maybe you’re here because you’re seeing signs that don’t make sense—and you’re searching.
First… I am truly sorry.
You’re going to hear that a lot. People mean well.
And then you’ll hear this:
“My (grandparent, aunt, older relative) had Alzheimer’s, so I understand.”
And here’s where I need to gently prepare you…
👉 This is not the same.
Cue Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Because Early Onset Alzheimer’s? It’s not like what most people think of when they picture Alzheimer’s.
This hits differently. It looks different. And it changes your life at a completely different stage.
👩👧👦 A Little About Us
I’m Gen X.A working mom. A wife.
I was 50 when this started. My husband—“Rob”—was 57.
We had kids still at home. One in high school.
This wasn’t supposed to be part of our story yet.
🧠 The First Signs (that didn’t look like Alzheimer’s)
I know this is why you’re here.
You’re trying to figure out:👉 “Is what I’m seeing something?”
Let me walk you through what we saw—because it didn’t look like what we expected at all.
🗣️ Word Loss (Aphasia… but we didn’t know that yet)
It started in April 2022.
Rob began losing words—but not in an obvious way.
Not forgetting names. Not losing keys.
Instead… he would replace words with ones that didn’t exist.
Example:
Spaghetti → “sagani”
Not mispronounced. Not a slip.
A completely made-up word.
And the strangest part?
👉 He didn’t realize it was happening.
We would just sit there, confused, trying to decode what he meant.
At the time, it almost felt like:
Was he joking?
Being playful?
Just tired?
He was still:
Working
A top-performing salesperson
Not getting lost
Not forgetting tasks
So Alzheimer’s didn’t even cross our minds.
😡 Personality Changes (this was the turning point)
Then came the shift.
Mood swings. Anger. Argumentative behavior.
And not just a little…
👉 Saying things that were deeply hurtful👉 Snapping at our daughter👉 Reacting in ways that were completely out of character
I always say:
I married a golden retriever… not a pit bull.
So when that changed—it was a red flag.
🚪 Withdrawal from Life
Next, he started pulling away.
Didn’t want to go to social events
Skipped family gatherings
Lost interest in things he used to enjoy
Soccer games. Concerts.Time with friends.
He just… stopped wanting to be there.
🚨 The Moment Everything Changed
And then came the moment I couldn’t ignore.
He came to me—upset, scared.
And said:
“My brain feels scrambled. I can’t think. It’s foggy… something is wrong.”
And then…
“I don’t want to live like this.”
That was it.
👉 That was the moment I knew this wasn’t stress
👉 This wasn’t burnout
👉 This wasn’t “just getting older”
Something was wrong.
And we needed help—immediately.
💡 What I Didn’t Know Then (but know now)
Looking back, there were signs we missed.
Because we were looking for:
Memory loss
Getting lost
Forgetting names
👉 The “typical” Alzheimer’s symptoms
But Early Onset?
It often starts with:
Language issues (aphasia)
Behavioral changes
Personality shifts
Executive function decline
Not memory.
Not at first.
🤝 Why I’m Sharing This
I’m not using real names.
Not because we’re private…But because I want to protect my husband and my family.
We’re not here for attention.
We’re here because:
👉 If even one person reads this
👉 And recognizes the signs sooner than I did
👉 And gets help faster
Then this is worth it.
🎵 Let’s Get It Started…
So here you are.
And here we go.
This is the beginning of a journey you didn’t choose…
But you’re not alone in this Sucky Club.
Disclaimer: (see full at main page)
I’m not a doctor—just a spouse sharing real-life experiences with Early Onset Alzheimer’s. What worked for us may not work for you, so always check with your healthcare provider.
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