Investigations have begun on how men were misdiagnosed and treated Alzheimer’s disease 7 years.
Alex Preston said a misdiagnosis ruined his last year with his wife and he was forced to retire early due to a blunder.
Medical experts even refused to discuss cancer diagnosis with him because of his condition leading up to his wife’s death.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease after a period of depression and anxiety, Preston devoted himself to raising funds for the disease.
Friends often told him, “You seem to be doing well,” because he looked like he was. Dealing with illness..
However, when further tests were conducted after a new nurse assigned to him suggested meeting a consultant, they revealed that the original diagnosis was incorrect.
An independent investigation into Mr. Preston’s case was initiated by the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), revealing how the misdiagnosis was made and why it was not detected for so long.
Preston, now 62, from Anstey, Leicestershire, told Telegraph that he “basically gave up his life” because he thought he had committed suicide because he thought he was dying.
He also lost his beloved job as a senior technology shift operator for a major water supplier, as he was considered not strong enough to handle chemicals and machinery.
He states: “I earn £ 39,500 a year, so I don’t get anything.”
Preston said he asked his wife Susan to leave him three times to escape her suffering through his trials.
He states: But she was by my side and was sadly diagnosed with the cancer that killed her. “
Preston’s wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2018 and died in November of the following year.
Preston was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 55 by a consultant at the Bloodgate Unit, part of LPT, in 2014, underwent two scans, and had several memory tests in about six months. Has been completed.
A few years after being diagnosed, Preston joined the Alzheimer’s Association charity. He discussed at the residents’ doctors and meetings what it was like to live with the illness. Juvenile dementia App.
Medical staff refused to discuss his wife’s cancer diagnosis
He states: “My life has collapsed and all the dreams I and Susan had felt that our future was gone. I live as a patient with Alzheimer’s disease and fund the association. I used to give gigs and attend group meetings with other patients to help. “
With a more cruel twist, he insisted that the medical staff would not tell him about the condition of his wife because of his own diagnosis.
He states: They looked down so much and made me really sick.
“She died thinking I was left behind by my illness and couldn’t cope. If she knew I wasn’t dementia, she would be very happy and relieved for me, just like me. But I was very angry because I was experiencing all this wrong. “
He has been taking care of his wife alone for 15 months, and even though the visiting nurse said he was doing well, he reassessed Mr Preston and questioned his first diagnosis. No one was presenting it.
Preston said the Covid pandemic had reduced hospital contact and, as a result, began living without a medical professional to enhance the diagnosis.
His friend told him he seemed to be doing well, and he decided to ask for a scan of his brain.
Preston was finally appointed as a nurse and he contacted a new consultant.
After a series of new memory tests and a final scan, his first diagnosis was labeled as incorrect. Preston later discovered that his original scan had no evidence of illness and claimed that there were errors in marking and scoring in tests that led to his diagnosis.
He states: “I was very relieved, but I was angry with the doctor who misdiagnosed me.
“I don’t know if it’s just her fault or her boss’s fault, but I’m very angry.
“I just want to prevent this misdiagnosis from happening again. I don’t want other couples to suffer like we do.”
Tim Beanland, Chief Knowledge Officer of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: It is very rare to be mistakenly diagnosed with dementia, and it is imperative that people recognize the symptoms of dementia and not delay receiving the necessary diagnosis.
“According to our latest research, people are more likely to delay the display of GP because the symptoms of dementia are mistaken for normal aging, so the Alzheimer’s Association is worried about dementia. We have developed a new downloadable “Symptom Checklist” that people can use online. Their GP for an easier experience. “
LPT is currently investigating Preston’s case after filing two complaints with Preston. Their first reaction apologized for the impact of the first diagnosis on his life and well-being.
The trust states: “The Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust takes all complaints very seriously. The Trust has been in close contact with Mr. Preston since the complaint was first filed.
“We are currently conducting an independent review of this case with independent clinical witnesses from outside our trust. We will comment further until this review is complete and shared with Preston. That is inappropriate. “