I've namechanged just because some people know me irl on here and I don't want this thread to be outing - for the privacy of the other person concerned.
My oldest friend told me in August 2023 that she has been diagnosed with EO Alzheimers. I've never seen her all that often - once or twice a year - but it still came as a huge shock and I would say it's been the saddest news I've ever been given, way over-shadowing the deaths of both my parents.
She was 61 then. Since then I've seen her twice and the illness wasn't much in evidence but some signs were there (and infact, thinking back, the signs were there in our previous recent meet-ups over the past couple of years but she wasn't diagnosed then).
When she told me, I was one of only two people who knew apart from her immediate family. I have tried to step up and make the most of the time we have left while she is still OK and have messaged and WhatsApp'd a few times suggesting dates. The messages are marked as read but she hasn't got back to me (whereas she always would with enthusiasm before, we had a fairly equal relationship in terms of getting in touch and arranging lunches/nights out).
So now because there has been silence for months, I am worried that things are going downhill very fast for her.
My question is obviously, how fast does the disease progress in EO? Will I be bothering her by continuing to message? Will she find it overwhelming? Is she likely to still know who I am? Feeling very uncertain about what to do now! My instinct is to phone her, my fear is that she won't know who I am or that it will cause her anxiety.
I don't know exactly when she got her diagnosis (I asked in August 2023 but I don't think she remembered the date or exactly how long it had been) but I reckon it was up to 9 months before then.
Thank you if you can offer any insight.