[livingwith]

I have been separated from my children’s father for over 11 years now. He has Huntington’s Disease. We just found out the diagnosis about 6 mos ago. Looking back on our marriage I realize the disease played a huge part in the destruction of it.

My husband lives on his own. His house is filthy with trash everywhere. He cannot remember to pay his utility bills and often is without hot water in the house.
I have tried numerous times to clean his home but he cannot stand the disrupt...Read the full article

[tjchmiel]

hello, i can't give you the best answer for you but i will share with you what happened in my family. My husband has HD, his father just past away 2 weeks ago from it. Like your marriage, my mother in law and father in law split, because of the abusive, disruptive bahavior. That was quite awhile ago. Four years ago, my father in law found out he was positive for HD. He also started to get a form of dementia, and was sure who people where anymore. He didn't recognize his son, or his two brothers, who came to get him to take him home to care for him. It didn't take long, and he was put into a state hospital, because they said he was to disruptive for a nursing home. When my father in law starting losing the ability to function, such as walking, they moved him into a veterans home, where he spent the last year and half of his life.

As far as my husband, he has the disease, but fortunately is showing no signs. He has known for fours now. He just eats healthy, doesn't smoke or drink, takes vitamins, and keeps stress to a minimum. That is the best advice i can give you for you two children.

On the subject of what you should do, if he has siblings, speak with them, he needs a power of attorney. He probably isn't exactly sure what is happening to him, and cannot control it. Right now he may be mad at you, but put that aside, 99% sure it's just HD, the anger will die eventually, and i hate to say this, but my father in law went from being angry to almost being a small child stuck in an aging body. Another thing you need to think of is burial, making sure that is taken care of. I know it's hard to think of that now, but in the end, it was make it a lot easier. My father in law found out in early 2003, he just died august 11th, 2007. When he found out, the disease was already becoming full blown, the doctors said that he had been sufferring for many years, and this was the final stages. I can't speak for your ex husband, but time is limited.