52-Year-Old Mom Reveals How Dementia Really Feels

When most of us picture someone with dementia, we often think about an older individual. In reality, dementia can strike at a very young age, and Jana Nelson is someone who knows this all too well.

Jana has shared a video of what it is like to experience dementia. She was diagnosed in 2012 with Hydrocephalus and suffers from early-onset dementia. Since that time, her symptoms have become more and more severe.

The neurological disorder, Hydrocephalus, causes a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s cavities. The National Institute of Health says that the excess fluid can cause a widening of the ventricles, putting pressure on the tissue in the brain.

Nelson talks about the earliest symptoms she experienced in the TikTok video. At first, it showed itself as a constant tiredness and feeling like she needed to sleep.

In the video, she spoke about how it was pleasant to be in a dream state, and she wanted to stay there at all times.

The symptoms continued to progress, and eventually, she felt angry and irritated. She thought people were always using a tone with her and patronizing her.

Eventually, the mother of four said that people were speaking to her that way because she continued to repeat the same questions. She also would start sentences but wouldn’t finish them.

Nelson said in the clip: “All the time, you feel like people are playing tricks on you and lying to you about the things that you’ve done or where things turned up or disappeared. You feel like they’re hiding things behind your back.”

After she concluded that she could no longer hold an ordinary conversation, she became introverted. She only was comfortable around her family and closest friends.

More recently, the dementia has gotten worse and now she struggles with bladder control and an inability to hold her bowel movements. She also needs help with things she would regularly do, such as cooking and cleaning.

In the video, she says she feels betrayed by her brain. There are things you should remember, such as planning for her brother’s funeral, but she just doesn’t remember it.

@welcome2dementia What does dementia feel like?#livingwithdementia ♬ original sound – Jana-welcome2dementia

Since posting the video, many people have come online to say how brave she is for posting it. Others also admitted that they learned a lot about dementia from the video.