Huntington's Disease

[livingwith]

My husband has Huntingtons, he was dianoised two years ago, Our Daughter was tested she does not have it, thank God. I keep him on a routien he seems to be doing well, right now, I have to watch what he eats. He is 67.He retiered at age 62. He was a maintenance man at a pulp mill.
...Read the full article

[nicholsonr]

How did you learn he had huntingtons? I believe 99.9% my husband also has it. He is 62. We have been married 81/2 yrs. About 2 years ago he began getting angry a lot and raging. He sits on the sofa and doesn't do much. He didn't sleep but 1 or 2 hrs a night if that. It got to the point I avoided him a lot. He has his own business and we have no insurance. About 2 months ago he said he was considering suicide. He had been in the military and had been talking about viet nam a lot so I thought PTSD and found a way to get him in the VA. He was in the hospital for 11 days and they put him on sleep aids and anti-depressants which seem to help. BUT while he was in there they asked me about his TIC's. I thought he did those twitches because he was hyper. Then it hit me. He had mentioned once he thought his mom died of huntingtons. His family is NOT close so there is no one to ask. I'm afraid to say anything for fear the VA will kick us out (we're living on my income as the office person in a dentist office.) And I'm afraid if & when he figures it out he will commit suicide. I went on line and he has all the symptoms. The VA is doing some tests and I'm sure they will come to my conclusion. But since we pay a reduced fee things are slow. And in a way I'm glad. I feel like a opened pandora's box when I forced him to the VA but if I hadn't he may already be dead due to suicide. I'm so worried and scared. When he is fine he is such a sweet smart man. But I don't know if he is a fighter. He tried suicide in 1975 before we met.

How are your husband and you handling it? I hope we can start some dialog, I feel I need some support and someone to talk to who knows what we are going to go through.

I can only write during the week in the mornings before work. I don't want the husband to see me upset. Everyday I pray my worries are unfounded but I'm sure they aren't.