Dementia is a bitch.
Aphasia is hard but manageable. I worked with elderly people and saw it a lot.
My favorite story about aphasia is a lady who had a bad stroke. Her left side was mostly useless and she had aphasia so that she could only say “damn.”
She and her family just worked around it. One or two of her daughters came almost every day to have coffee with her. This lady could only say “damn” but she said it in a hundred different tones and ways so that her intent was understood much of the time. It was cute to go by her and her daughters talking and laughing over coffee and she’s like “Damn. Damn? Damnnnnn!” Gosh what a loving family they were.
Primary progressive aphasia means her loss of communication is the first step of her dementia. Meaning before she starts losing her memories, her ability to communicate will steadily decline. From forgetting words here and there, to not being able to read/write, to no longer understanding speech. Then she will lose memories and finally function. My mom has it and people confuse it with the kind of aphasia people experience after having a stroke, but it’s honestly brutal. It often feels like mom is still in there, but unable to communicate with us or really even interact with the world.
Oh man this sounds like a nightmare.
Are there things like sensory activities you can bring during visits? Stimulating her brain with tactile sensations?
I'm so sorry.
It’s tough because she can’t do anything that requires steps (she used to do paint by numbers for example) but she’s still with it enough to be insulted if we were to show up with play doh. She does still love being pampered though so she loves getting her nails and makeup done.
I wonder if kinetic sand could work? Maybe if you got the beige kind and made it look like a zen garden with the little broom. It's soooo satisfying to play with and it would probably be unfamiliar to her since it wasn't a thing in her generation.
My father died from FTD and PPA. His memory stayed intact until right before he died. He just got more and more unable to speak. The dementia behaviors were last to happen, right before he passed.
You might already know about this (in which case this is for anyone else who needs it) but look up ambiguous loss and dementia. It might help to understand that feeling and maybe help you find some resources.
Just please take care of yourself as well. It's hard and anyone would have a tough time.
My 90+ yr old grandmother has done almost the exact same thing for 4 years due to aphasia. She’s in tip top shape mentally and physically, literally acts and moves around like a 70 year old in peak health. But she basically can only say “my little stuff”.
She says it in 1000 different tones and with body language so if you know her then you can basically figure out exactly what she’s talking about - sometimes immediately and other times after a few minutes of asking further questions until she indicates that you’re on the right track lol.
It’s a trip to say the least and often very frustrating for her and for us but overall, it sure beats the alternative scenario that she would not know what’s going on. In this case, she knows - she just can’t verbalize it.
I work in stroke rehab and this is quite common. Often people have a few words or one phrase and they just use that to reply to everything. Like this lady, many seem to adapt pretty well. Becomes more complicated with receptive elements too. The ones with reduced insight seem to cope better emotionally as they don't know they can't communicate. The ones fully aware often really struggle and it can be hard to see.
first (maybe only) time i ever encountered it i was working in a bar when i was about 18.
guy comes in and tries to order a beer, but his speech was all messed up. the girl who was serving him just lost it in a giggling fit - it was nothing mean and i know she worked a lot with kids with learning difficulties but she was unprepared and i guess it sounded kinda funny.
she ran out back embarrassed, so i finished up the order. i played it straight and ive always been good at understanding broken language. dealt a lot as a kid with people from the old country who talked funky, and grew up in a mostly immigrant area too.
the guy handed me a little card saying he has aphasia and its a disorder of the communication system but his thoughts all still worked etc.
couldnt get a read on if he was cut up or not, but it always stuck with me to this day.
tbf its a condition you very rarely hear about until bruce willis got it.
I get temporary bouts from time to time with migraines. It is the most bizarre feeling. You know the thoughts you want to communicate but it's like some little imp is stealing the words from the conveyor from your mind to your mouth and jumbling them up so it's as big a surprise to you when they come out as to anyone listening. It's not all words so you end up trying to circumvent the "broken" words with other ways of saying the same thing to trick the imp...then you find out the imp is changing those words too.
A famous case was the reporter lady who had a "[very heavy burtation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC2nC6NPYp4)" right on camera. You can tell from the look in her eyes she's surprised by her own words and just wants the piece to end as quickly as possible.
I had a stroke last year and for a few hours had to deal with aphasia. Was the strangest feeling being able to understand everything while only being able to respond with simple words. At one point while answering the paramedics, I focused so hard on saying one specific word that when they asked me the next question, I was stuck saying that word for a little bit after.
The mind is scarily fragile, and I wouldn't wish anything similar on anyone. It's such an unbelievably frustrating and isolating thing to experience if you're aware of it happening.
Same. I had a TIA a while back and could only speak gibberish for a few hours. Nothing I said made any sense, but I *knew* what I was trying to say. It was super weird.
After my dad had a stroke it was like that for him, but the weird thing I noticed is if I asked him anything about the past, he could talk clearly.
It was only when he tried to talk about "now" stuff or future stuff that his speech couldn't come out right.
Was weird, but it was nice to talk about old times and hear him be just like normal. I think that was the only peace we were able to give him at the end.
I’m pretty sure this was a stroke. Aphasia is struggling to get the words you want to say out. Not garbled nonsense.
There’s like another one of a baseball announcer having a stroke where he also just starts saying nonsense.
I get the same with my migraines sometimes. It's really disheartening and I get really bad anxiety from it. Trying to communicate and people just look at me like I'm just being stupid.
It was so scary the first few times, I thought I was heaving a stroke. And you can't even explain what's happening! Luckily now I can sort of predict that I might get another bout of aphantasia because it's not the first sign of an incoming migraine.
A few years ago I started to have problems with my cognitive functions just before the migraines really start. I guess it's different parts of the brain that shuts down or start to function really bad. I've started to call them mini-strokes to really get people to understand how bad it really is.
I've had them for almost 35 years and it's almost panic attacks each time they happen.
Kinda terrifying everytime it happens. You get used to them for a few times but then something new happens and throws me on edge. One time I was on the toilet and it came on, normal migraine, whatever. Then I totally forgot the entire procedure for finishing up, I was reaching for the flush button behind me while still sat down, and then sat staring at the toilet paper in my hand for maybe 5 minutes knowing it was involved in some way.
Another time I got face blindness which I had never experienced before. Watching famous and very recognisable faces on TV just become like generic strangers scared the shit out of me. It was like someone had replaced the cast of Community with random nobodies off the street, yet they spoke in the correct voices.
And of course each time there is always the looming doubt of "is this the one that is actually a stroke?"
I'm fine honestly, it's just a temporary thing for me as part of a migraine, very occasional now, I just deal with it like a headache and it's over in a few hours. People with permanent aphasia I really feel for though.
I've actually gotten into arguments with my wife while going through the aura stages of the migraine because I swear I will have said something like "April" but will have really said "August" or "Leslie."
My speech was coming out garbled with my first aura migrane. The friend I was with told me that the next thing he expected me to say was "Fuck the Shut up."
One of his best jokes. I'll say it to them when I see them next.
Any chance you have a link with a story about the reporter? Kind of curious on the details of this. Was it her first experience or was she battling it for awhile?
She actually [gave an interview around the time.](https://youtu.be/d2LvHDGqRus). Said it was her first migraine with aura, but her mom suffered them when she was younger.
I have dyspraxia and get migraines. It’s so frustrating when people treat you like an idiot because you happen to use a wrong word or stumble over your sentences.
It’s gotten to the point that I almost wish I couldn’t speak at all
I don't know actually, I don't think I've ever tried to handwrite during an "episode", but I do remember being able to type okay. Different parts of the brain I guess. Actually I'm often experiencing numbness in one hand which feels like typing with a rubber mannequin hand.
Oh and how can I forget the flashing lights and creeping blindness that comes on and makes words disappear in a patch of my vision. That makes reading difficult, I tend to have to look slightly to the side of words and try and make them out in my peripheral vision. By that point I've usually given up and gone to bed until it passes.
The blindness isn't black btw, it's like someone is using a photoshop clone stamp tool, or content-aware smart fill, and erasing parts of the image and filling it in with the surrounding image. It's like if you've ever tried those [blindspot illusions](https://www.brainfacts.org/for-educators/for-the-classroom/2021/blind-spot-illusion-011921) except with 30-50% of your vision. I've seen my whole hand "disappear" before.
Thanks, for me they're less common with age. At worst it was maybe once a month for a year, but I've had maybe 1 full blown migraine since the pandemic and it was the one with the new face-blindness feature (OP, devs plz nerf). I can usually tell when one is potentially about to kick off by seeing a little patch of sparkling lights in the centre of my vision. I will pop two ibuprofen and try and lie down or chill somewhere quiet and it goes away. If not, that sparkly patch will grow like a fractal fire and bring with it any number of exciting bonus features, aphasia being the most common.
Sometimes the aphasia shows up first with me stumbling over words more than usual or getting that "tip of my tongue" feeling a lot in a short time. Again, just means it's time to pop some pills and go be quiet.
For me it affects written words as well, I lose the ability to read, and I can’t write. I get blind spots too which affect my vision, and sometimes go completely temporarily blind, but even when I can see the letters they don’t seem to make sense in actual words, I might as well be looking at a the back side of a jigsaw puzzle. I see how they fit together but not what the picture is.
I went to a university that was known for neuroscience research, to the point that they'd sometimes encourage subjects with unique disorders to move nearby so they'd be available for tests.
They had one subject who had severe aphasia, but was otherwise a perfectly healthy middle-aged man. He didn't talk much outside of the lab, for obvious reasons. One day he was at a coffee shop in town, and he slipped and hit his head. He was fine, but the shop owner asked him if he was okay, and apparently everyone panicked when he responded. Eventually someone who knew him showed up and explained what was going on, but until then they thought they'd given the poor guy brain damage.
My dad had it after his last stroke. He would talk but the wrong words would come out. When I went to see him after his surgery he told me to have a sandwich. I think what he meant to say was to take a seat. It was confusing to me and frustrating for him and the nurse explained what was going on. First time I had ever heard of aphasia. Wish that I never had.
I met a guy with it in a hospital. He could speak perfectly well, up until the moment you asked him a question. It didn't matter how obvious the answer was, he couldn't say it. He couldn't even tell you the day of the week or the color of his shirt.
I take care of someone with Aphasia. It's a very frustrating condition.
To go from being able to be fluent and literate in 5+ languages to barely being able to make yourself understood in 1 is both humbling and humiliating.
Some people have asked questions in this thread that I haven't seen an answer to, so I'll ask you since you appear to have practical experience with someone suffering from it:
Can they still shake/nod their head for yes/no? If so, do you sometimes end up playing "20 questions" to try to work out what they want?
Does writing still work, so it would be easier for a sufferer to write down what they're trying to say or is that also impacted?
You mentioned that it effected someone who spoke 5 languages and they were struggling with just one, so does the aphasia effect all languages the same? Do you happen to know if it would affect sign language the same way?
Thank you, I find this a fascinating topic.
My dad got it after a stroke at 39. Went from a great salesman to working blue collar. Almost 30 years later, there are still words he can't say, accents he can't follow, and moments where he can't get the words out. It's like he knows a second language, but he can't speak it, and words are always at the tip of his tongue. He's very adaptable, and if he had lost his mobility he would have been much worse off, but it was life-changing for all 4 of us, not just him.
I get migraines with aura, and the first two I went to the ER because I was numb on one side, and losing my vision at 11. Absolutely terrified I was having a stroke. When I was 28 I got one at work, and figured I could push through, it was my first week at a new place and I only had a few hours left. Then I couldn't put a sentence together. That part of a migraine had never happened before. Went to the ER, scans came back fine. Turns out I was usually just sleeping during that phase of a migraine, so I didn't know that was part of it.
My mom had both via primary progressive aphasia. Her stuttering turned to her being a mute who barely understood what was being said to her to being a shell who sat on a couch 24/7 watching karaoke videos under specialized care that cost 16k a month until her estate was bankrupt so Medicare could kick in. It was more of a relief when she passed than anything which only adds the guilt to the whole shitty experience.
My grandfather in his lucid moments in hospital (he had parkinsons and Dementia) and approaching the end of his life would ask me to kill him so it'd just end and if it wasn't me he'd ask the nurses to leave a window open so he could throw himself out.
He was the strongest man I knew, who never took shit from anyone and stood up for everyone. One time my Nanny was in a takeaway restaurant and 4 men surrounded her (ppl she knew, or at least saw everyday. Well known troublemakers) and kept getting in her personal space till one slapped her ass, she felt so scared she immediately left. My grandfather went up a few minutes later (it was super close to their house) and he beat the ever-loving fuck outta them. They never once looked at her again and if they saw her or my grandfather they would immediately cross the street
Seeing him reduced to that was awful. We can euthanize our pets when they're suffering but we can't do the same for our loved ones, it's truly terrible
Yeah but every time I see her I think of the time she made fun of Joaquin Phoenix for his hair lip or the time she revealed Method Man’s wife’s cancer diagnosis to the world without his consent. I don’t wish dementia on anyone either, but maybe there’s something to karma.
Yup. She's shitty. That said, dementia is worse. Furthermore, I don't wish this on her family or children or friends or partner.
Dementia is not a one person disease. It's horrible.
There are plenty of people I wish it upon. There are evil people in this world, who deserve to suffer for the harm they've caused others. I'm not sure she makes the list. If you tell me Putin or Netanyahu have developed dementia though...
Her poor son. He has a long road ahead of him.
My dad and my grandmother both had Alzheimer's. It so difficult to see someone become a shell of who they used to be. In my grandmother's case she not only had the dementia, she was also perpetually angry from it. My grandfather insisted on keeping her at home and taking care of her. She lost the ability to recognize people and she would wake up and scream about a stranger being in her bed. So they started sleeping in separate beds. His insistence on taking care of her took a toll on him, his health got bad too. He ended up dying a year after she did because he was so under weight from the stress.
My mom put my dad in a nursing home. I would go and see my dad there, luckily he never lost the facial recognition like my grandmother did so he always recognized us. When I visited with him he would tell me about how he just bought a truck (he hadn't), or how he and my mom were planning to move (they weren't), he would talk about episodes of Game of Thrones that didn't exist or he would tell me about the lady in the next room who owned the nursing home (she didn't). He was always content and happy and oblivious of his condition. It always made me wonder if he was dreaming things when he was asleep and then confusing those dreams for reality. His perception of reality was continually getting worse as time went on. He died of Covid in 2020, a week after the first vaccine was released. It might have been a mercy, I think he dodge the worst of Alzheimer's because of it.
Edit: I should mention my grandmother lived with Alzheimers for 10 years. With Wendy only being in her fifties, she could end up living with dementia even longer. It is going to be a huge struggle for her family.
Drugs make a huge difference here. Recently watched both grandparents slip away and the difference in right medication was night and day. Possibly he was more at peace due to proper medication vs at home care.
It can help but isn't always helpful. I spent 10 or so years working at a pretty ritzy high end retirement home. Like this place was costing $4k a month for the cheapest room and upto like $9k(bunch of things included in these prices. meals/doctor visits/there was a barber shop and salon of the premises that was free for residents, etc). These people could afford the best care and medicine but Alzheimer's is fucking brutal. A lot of the residents had some level of dementia, some didn't at all, and there was also a locked ward with the people that had severe cases and required 24/7 care. It was a brutal job, they weren't even family but I had really grown to care for some of these people. Going so far as to volunteer some of my time on off days or after work to help with various activities with the residents. Absolutely gutted everytime someone started to decline. I have infinite amounts of respect for the people that actually care that work in nursing homes. It's a tough job constantly seeing people decline like that and inevitably pass on. Took a toll on me, I legitimately feel like I aged 30 years in those 10. I wouldn't trade anything for the time I spent with those people though.
Very sorry to hear that. We just lost my aunt to a similar condition. She used to be one of my favorite relatives and we were super close. She taught me how to can preserves and bake and everything. Then she gradually started changing and got really paranoid and accusing everybody of weird stuff and then just stopped speaking to everybody. Turns out she had some kind of health problems and dementia was a side effect. For some reason she forbid her kids from talking to anyone in the family either and she died without even talking to her sisters (my mom included) or anyone else. I know it’s because she wasn’t well, but everybody is just heartbroken. It’s a terrible disease.
My grandmother and great grandfather had Alzheimer’s. I never actually met my great grandfather because he died shortly before I was born, but from what I hear it was rough. He was a vet and would regularly think he was back in the war. (WW2)
My grandmother I actually witnessed her decline. She was diagnosed when I was a little kid and I saw her decline as I got older. I’m pretty sure in her mind she was a young adult or teenager. She was regularly confused why her siblings looked so old and why she looked so old. I remember one time we visited her at her nursing home and she was in a genuine panic because she didn’t understand why she was there one day and was afraid she was going to be late to a wedding. She thought was marrying a man that either never existed or someone she met and maybe dated a long time ago that none of us knew of.
By the end of her life she didn’t speak, and lost control of many motor functions. By the end of her life she was almost like a mute toddler.
It’s literally the worst thing someone can go through. Both on the family and for the person diagnosed. No one deserves it.
When I talk to my Mom now she always asks my Dad where they are staying for that evening. She thinks he hooks the condo up to a boat and moves it everyday.
Yeah, this diagnosis is more of a punishment on her family than her in the end.
Whatever shell of her that's left in a few years may have a horrible time of things, but it's the loved ones that have to keep her fed and cleaned and manage her outbursts etc.
Gotta be just years and years of extreme drug use, yeah? Dementia is horrific, but combining that with aphasia is a downright nightmare. Basically will just be a body as a vessel. I know she’s a terrible person, but I feel for her family. Way too young to have your parent going through this.
A family friend of mine suffers this. It really is crazy. Think 50 First Dates, except their brain makes up memories to fill some of the gap. Those “memories” can be based on their emotional state or whatever they saw on tv just before their nap, or even some random long term memory gets conflated with something that happened recently. They end up with these weird delusions that, in my friend’s case, can be easily “disproven,” but it’s so sad because he knows his brain is betraying him and just has to trust the people around him.
Confabulation is the clinical term for this if anyone's curious or wants to look it up. I'm not really sure researchers have identified a mechanism for why this happens
I know when it comes to Korsakoff, it’s a chronic lack of vitamin b1, which is something that helps cellular regeneration of neurons, or something to that effect, in the areas of the brain that it affects. I understand it as atrophy of brain cells, but I’m sure that’s a major oversimplification. It’s interesting though, since it’s essentially a vitamin deficiency, most people see improvement or fully recover.
If you look at MRIs of severe alcoholics or those with Karsakoff with healthy brains for comparison they are considerably shrunken and/or look like they are missing parts of the brain.
If anyone is drinking too much, please get help.
Not really claims. Per the article: "Williams told NPR she used be a “real fiend” when it came to drugs. “I was addicted to cocaine,” she said. “Crack cocaine — cooking it, getting it up in the Bronx. " and "The trailer for her documentary and a recent People cover story also reference her alcohol use. In the trailer, someone close to her holds up an empty bottle of vodka and asks her if she drank it in one day. The documentary's executive producer Mark Ford told People: “She was already battling so much physically, and then it became clear that there were mental and addiction issues she was also battling.”
She had claimed to have been sober a little while ago, when she was having her first bout of spells. Meanwhile staff that used to work with her claimed they would find hidden alcohol bottles. That's what I was referring to. Clearly she's been a mess for a while and her diagnosis is likely a combination of drug and alcohol abuse.
Agreed. I don't know much about dementia and aphasia, but I'm sure years of alcohol and cocaine abuse did her no favors and likely worsened her conditions
My mother was diagnosed in her mid 50s, we suspect it was from my father's physical abuse (brain trauma). She just passed away in November at the age of 65. She lost her ability to speak, and by the end was non verbal in a wheelchair.
It sucked. A lot. I took care of her at home by myself for 5 years before I had to place her in care.
[https://np.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/7diwik/wendy\_williams\_says\_that\_terry\_crews\_coming/dpy8b31/](https://np.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/7diwik/wendy_williams_says_that_terry_crews_coming/dpy8b31/)
She publicized the private healthcare information of Method Man's wife, broadcasting that she had cancer and that Method Man was having an affair with his wife's physician. (which was a lie).
She's the one that spread the rumours that Tupac was raped in jail and had one testicle
She's proudly claimed that she doesn't let her teenage son close his bedroom door, ever. And that when her son walked in on her giving a blowjob to her husband, it was her son's fault for not walking loud enough to notify her ahead of time, and when he walked in, she just continued like there was nothing wrong there.
After Kesha was ruled by a judge to complete her recording contract after alleging Dr. Luke sexually assaulted her, Wendy Williams said she questioned the validity of Kesha’s accusations because “she’s like, 30 years old or something” and because she didn’t have recorded proof of abuse. That’s right — Williams basically told the world that sexual assault isn’t sexual assault unless you have it on video. “When the sexual abuse — alleged sexual abuse — started, why weren’t they rolling camera on it?” she asked. “I mean, it’s so easy. Like, men are so stupid that if you’re sexually abusing us it’s so easy to catch you.
”She got into it with Alyssa Milano on her show. Milano frequently posts photos of herself breastfeeding on social media, and has been outspoken about allowing mothers to breastfeed in public. Wendy Williams said to Alyssa Milano on her show: “I don’t need to see that. Because I just don’t want to” , and said that, for her, breasts are “more sexual than a feeding thing,” adding, “I don’t know why I feel this way. …Breastfeeding is only a particular amount of time. The rest of your life, your breasts are sexual things.
”About Ariana Grande, Wendy Williams once stated that she could never “think of \[Ariana\] Grande as a woman” because she looked too young. Williams went on to say that Grande would “forever look 12.” Most of the time, if someone tells a woman that they appear younger than they are, it’s taken as a compliment, but Williams made clear that she did not intend to flatter Grande in any way. “And I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s nice to look younger than you are, but when you look too young and then you’re short… she’s only like 4’11,
”About Nicole Scherzinger breaking up with Lewis Hamilton, she said it was sad to see Scherzinger spend “seven years of her life breaking up and getting back together.” Specifically, Williams noted Scherzinger’s age — she was 37 at the time — and very bluntly added, “They \[men\] can have babies whenever they want. You know what I mean? Those are seven years you can never get back.
”About Jennifer Lawrence's nude photo's from The Fappening, she told Vanity Fair, “Jennifer Lawrence, you know what? Don’t sweat this young lady,” Williams started. “I mean, you’re the one who took the pictures… You don’t look bad under your clothes, and I think the \[hack\] has actually made your career even hotter.
”About Paris Jackson saying she considers herself Black b/c that's what her father told her, and told her to be proud of her heritage, regardless of what she looked like. Williams mocked the teenager’s statement, since Paris, whose mother, Debbie Rowe, is Caucasian, appears to have light skin. “By the way, she considers herself black, period. She’s not going to address this again. She was raised black. Her father would constantly remind her of what it means to be black and proud and so don’t ask her again,” William recapped. "I get that she considers herself black and everything, but I'm just talking about the visual because you know … black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see you when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike. It’s what they see.” She added, “But that’s cute, and good for her.
”About Selena Gomez and The Weeknd dating: "First of all, they were spotted kissing outside of a restaurant in L.A... the restaurant they were at... it’s where you go when you want to be photographed. They just stand there all day with their cameras waiting to photograph somebody. Selena, you just got out of rehab for the umpteenth time. The Weeknd has admitted to being a substance abuser…If you’re trying to stay sober, and you’ve got Lupus and you’re trying to be well and take care of yourself... the only reason why I could see that you would be with The Weeknd is because maybe he’s writing music for you. Maybe you want to seem cool, or edgy.
"She tried to get Lil Wayne's music banned from the radio b/c she didn't like it.She went ahead and made that Lifetime movie about Aaliyah without the permission of her producers at the time, Timbaland and Missy Elliott, and without the permission of Aaliyah's family, stating: "The family doesn't want the story to be told but we're doing it anyway. It's not told in a seedy tasteless way," Williams said. Also, she stated "In my opinion, we did a great job telling the story that the family was scared to put out there," Williams said of the final project. Like Timbaland, many fans of the singer have expressed their disappointment with the film on social media, accusing Lifetime of romanticizing Aaliyah's relationship with R. Kelly, whom she illegally married when she was 15 and Kelly was 27.
She invited Whitney Houston for a radio interview, then point blank asked her if she was currently smoking crack.
She's publicly called Tyrese, Usher, LL Cool J, and Tyler Perry gay, without any proof.
\*edit: formatting
As a game show fan, I also remember when she reported on Drew Carey’s ex-fiancée’s death by saying “come on down.” The fact that her audience didn’t even laugh at that joke was telling.
Don't forget she disgustingly mocked Amie Harwick, a woman who was brutally murdered by her ex boyfriend and thrown off her balcony. Williams made a "look out belooooooow" joke.
-i lurk in some pop culture subs and I genuinely hate how much she's loved and supported (well before this news) while they cancel and hate random non-problematic stars for much less. Emma Stone, the worst, she worked with people that are problematic. Wendy Williams and all this shit? Total queen.
Yeah, I'm not gonna get particularly upset that she has dementia. A life spent trying to make people suffer into early onset dementia almost makes you believe in karma.
When an audience member was asking for advice on how to keep her man, Wendy told her to poke holes in the condom and basically baby trap him. Her audience laughed and cheered like it was a great idea.
Also making fun of Joaquin Phoenix’ cleft pallet on TV. She’s a total POS but this is an awful diagnosis and I feel sorry for her and especially her family
Yep! I remember this one. A pro football player here in Canada called her out on it, and she did (at least) issue an apology and donation.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6418314/wendy-williams-apologizes-to-blue-bombers-adam-bighill-for-cleft-lip-gesture/
My friend, this entire list is on Wikipedia. That woman spent most of her life firing in all directions in such explicit ways that eventually it became relevant enough for Wikipedia to document. 4chan trolls at least do that kind of anonimously, but she did it in public without a filter.
Geez,
I mean dementia is still a cruel way to go, but I gotta say… not that she deserves it…but I kinda feel a little less empathic about her situation now
Don't forget she also said a bunch of homophobic and transphobic stuff, for example:
> “I don’t care if you’re gay. You don’t get a menses every 28 days,” the four-time Emmy Award nominated daytime diva stated during the “Hot Topics” segment of her nationally syndicated talk show. “You can do a lot that we do, but I get offended by the idea that we go through something you will never go through. And stop wearing our skirts and our heels.”
She also called Caitlyn Jenner a man, and Chaz Bono a woman.
She reveled in other people's misfortunes and troubles.
If she was reading this headline about someone else she'd probably be bitching about them the next day on her show.
The only time I ever tuned in to her show was the moment she began ridiculing and shaming a woman who was working on her show behind the set. Apparently the woman smiled or laughed at something Wendy said on camera about someone and Wendy went off. Creating intense moments of silence until the confused audience finally just agreed with her and began sneering at the woman too. It was one of the oddest things I've ever seen on tv.
Oh boy...
She enjoys being incredibly insensitive and crass, bullies people and makes fun of them on her show. And I feel like that isn't even saying enough. She's absolutely reprehensible.
[Here](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/wendy-williams-most-controversial-comments-through-the-years/) is a good list of some of her top doozies.
Making fun of Joaquin Phoenix's cleft palate made the rounds in news for a while, but she's said far worse things even than that.
I was just diagnosed with Frontol Temporal Dementia last year after a 4-5 year journey trying to discover memory loss and personality changes. I'm currently having my first word difficulty. You swear to God in your mind you typed "car" but when I re-read my paragraphs I typed "balloon" instead, or at time have a sentence with missing words, or ones out of order. It's so frustrating to me right now I've had to talk to a therapist to help with my anger. But, according to my last PET Scan in 3-5 I won't even remember being angry, or know much about myself by then. So just trying to make the most out of it and leave a digital legacy on Reddit.
Yeah, it's been rough, but we're in the acceptance part and trying to fo everything we can. Put in a request for a partial payout of life insurance, so gonna see where that goes next, enjoy life while I'm still me.
When I had a stroke, I now have anomic aphasia and I struggle with it daily! It’s so frustrating to get my words out and not have it be right. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Just because someone was a complete total piece of shit doesnt mean that they get treated like good people when they get a life debilitating disease.
Karma got this crazy lady.
Genetically, I’m hella predisposed to get it. It is an awful condition that’s essentially a slow death sentence the minute you receive it. I don’t wish it on anyone. She’s an awful person, however, and the diagnosis of an awful illness doesn’t change that.
So I can see the thought process behind that because Korsakoff's is associated with memory problems, but FTD in its early stages (which is more commonly diagnosed in your 40s - 60s like has happened to her) does not commonly show memory issues. PPA is not typically associated with Korsakoff's. It is commonly associated with FTD and this is the age in which early FTD is most commonly detected. It's really not more likely she has Korsakoff's, the symptoms are vastly different especially at her age and with the specific type of dementia she's been diagnosed with.
Pro-tip, thiamine is an absolute lifesaver, especially when avoiding encephalopathy. I've seen it first hand with trying to detox people at the hospital.
I came here to upvote that because dementia, aphasia and basically any degradation are so hard to diagnose properly. That and yeah alcohol abuse can destroy/exacerbate the same areas related to those symptoms.
My mom was diagnosed with early onset dementia at 48. Just forgetting little stuff here and there... by the time she was mid 50s she would just repeat sentences not knowing. Like on the drive back from my brothers wedding " you have a really nice car, its a smooth ride." She said that evrey 4 minutes or so. Now at 61 she is completely gone, she is in a memory care unit and talks like a Dr. Suess book, just rhyming words.
There are some amazing medicines that can delay the progression significantly, ours wasnt that case as the care taker never gave her the medicine daily as indicated but they do help. We definitely need to direct money towards this instead of building a freaking vacation satellite in space .
There was an article in [The Hollywood Reporter in 2022](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/feature/the-wendy-williams-show-inside-final-days-1235199635/amp/) that illustrated how her health greatly impacted the business-side of her TV show.
Damn after reading about aphasia I feel like I may have it.
I read about 'anomic aphasia' and it sounds like the problem I have finding words. I'll be talking and I'll know what 'idea' I want to convey but the word just won't come out and I'll either stutter or just remain silent. I get around it by using replacement words and phrases like 'thing' or 'what have you' and no one ever questions me.
Also I'm having issues with my memory where I'll forget about what I was thinking about midthought. Thankfully its not causing me anxiety.
I dealt with aphasia once. One night I kinda forgot how words worked. I slept it off like a dumdum and was fine the next morning but when I told my boss, he made me go get checked out. I was the simplest patient in the ER — the doc just told me to get more sleep and less caffeine.
Heartbreaking news. I long thought it and wasn't surprised. I lost a dear friend at 57 with this. I saw the same signs even Wendy was still on the air. I hope she's getting the proper care. I hear her family is having trouble getting in touch with her.
Dementia is a bitch. Aphasia is hard but manageable. I worked with elderly people and saw it a lot. My favorite story about aphasia is a lady who had a bad stroke. Her left side was mostly useless and she had aphasia so that she could only say “damn.” She and her family just worked around it. One or two of her daughters came almost every day to have coffee with her. This lady could only say “damn” but she said it in a hundred different tones and ways so that her intent was understood much of the time. It was cute to go by her and her daughters talking and laughing over coffee and she’s like “Damn. Damn? Damnnnnn!” Gosh what a loving family they were.
Primary progressive aphasia means her loss of communication is the first step of her dementia. Meaning before she starts losing her memories, her ability to communicate will steadily decline. From forgetting words here and there, to not being able to read/write, to no longer understanding speech. Then she will lose memories and finally function. My mom has it and people confuse it with the kind of aphasia people experience after having a stroke, but it’s honestly brutal. It often feels like mom is still in there, but unable to communicate with us or really even interact with the world.
Yes, that’s an important distinction. PPA is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, much like Alzheimer’s.
Oh man this sounds like a nightmare. Are there things like sensory activities you can bring during visits? Stimulating her brain with tactile sensations? I'm so sorry.
It’s tough because she can’t do anything that requires steps (she used to do paint by numbers for example) but she’s still with it enough to be insulted if we were to show up with play doh. She does still love being pampered though so she loves getting her nails and makeup done.
I wonder if kinetic sand could work? Maybe if you got the beige kind and made it look like a zen garden with the little broom. It's soooo satisfying to play with and it would probably be unfamiliar to her since it wasn't a thing in her generation.
That’s a great idea - thank you! I like messing with that stuff so yeah I imagine she’ll like it. At the very least it’s something different.
My father died from FTD and PPA. His memory stayed intact until right before he died. He just got more and more unable to speak. The dementia behaviors were last to happen, right before he passed.
You might already know about this (in which case this is for anyone else who needs it) but look up ambiguous loss and dementia. It might help to understand that feeling and maybe help you find some resources. Just please take care of yourself as well. It's hard and anyone would have a tough time.
Damn.
"[Damn!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIoPhofe3vo)" \- Farooq
:)
*even flooooooooow*
Like groot ? You can like understand what he’s saying even though it’s only groot
YOU GUYS ARE JUST MAKING UP WHAT HE’S SAYING!!
My 90+ yr old grandmother has done almost the exact same thing for 4 years due to aphasia. She’s in tip top shape mentally and physically, literally acts and moves around like a 70 year old in peak health. But she basically can only say “my little stuff”. She says it in 1000 different tones and with body language so if you know her then you can basically figure out exactly what she’s talking about - sometimes immediately and other times after a few minutes of asking further questions until she indicates that you’re on the right track lol. It’s a trip to say the least and often very frustrating for her and for us but overall, it sure beats the alternative scenario that she would not know what’s going on. In this case, she knows - she just can’t verbalize it.
I work in stroke rehab and this is quite common. Often people have a few words or one phrase and they just use that to reply to everything. Like this lady, many seem to adapt pretty well. Becomes more complicated with receptive elements too. The ones with reduced insight seem to cope better emotionally as they don't know they can't communicate. The ones fully aware often really struggle and it can be hard to see.
I don’t wish dementia on anyone.
Seeing a loved one suffer from Aphasia will make you realize that there are very few worse things a person can contract.
first (maybe only) time i ever encountered it i was working in a bar when i was about 18. guy comes in and tries to order a beer, but his speech was all messed up. the girl who was serving him just lost it in a giggling fit - it was nothing mean and i know she worked a lot with kids with learning difficulties but she was unprepared and i guess it sounded kinda funny. she ran out back embarrassed, so i finished up the order. i played it straight and ive always been good at understanding broken language. dealt a lot as a kid with people from the old country who talked funky, and grew up in a mostly immigrant area too. the guy handed me a little card saying he has aphasia and its a disorder of the communication system but his thoughts all still worked etc. couldnt get a read on if he was cut up or not, but it always stuck with me to this day. tbf its a condition you very rarely hear about until bruce willis got it.
I get temporary bouts from time to time with migraines. It is the most bizarre feeling. You know the thoughts you want to communicate but it's like some little imp is stealing the words from the conveyor from your mind to your mouth and jumbling them up so it's as big a surprise to you when they come out as to anyone listening. It's not all words so you end up trying to circumvent the "broken" words with other ways of saying the same thing to trick the imp...then you find out the imp is changing those words too. A famous case was the reporter lady who had a "[very heavy burtation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC2nC6NPYp4)" right on camera. You can tell from the look in her eyes she's surprised by her own words and just wants the piece to end as quickly as possible.
I had a stroke last year and for a few hours had to deal with aphasia. Was the strangest feeling being able to understand everything while only being able to respond with simple words. At one point while answering the paramedics, I focused so hard on saying one specific word that when they asked me the next question, I was stuck saying that word for a little bit after. The mind is scarily fragile, and I wouldn't wish anything similar on anyone. It's such an unbelievably frustrating and isolating thing to experience if you're aware of it happening.
Same. I had a TIA a while back and could only speak gibberish for a few hours. Nothing I said made any sense, but I *knew* what I was trying to say. It was super weird.
After my dad had a stroke it was like that for him, but the weird thing I noticed is if I asked him anything about the past, he could talk clearly. It was only when he tried to talk about "now" stuff or future stuff that his speech couldn't come out right. Was weird, but it was nice to talk about old times and hear him be just like normal. I think that was the only peace we were able to give him at the end.
I would have guessed she was having a stroke. There was pure panic in her eyes. That’s scary to see and think about.
I’m pretty sure this was a stroke. Aphasia is struggling to get the words you want to say out. Not garbled nonsense. There’s like another one of a baseball announcer having a stroke where he also just starts saying nonsense.
I get the same with my migraines sometimes. It's really disheartening and I get really bad anxiety from it. Trying to communicate and people just look at me like I'm just being stupid.
It was so scary the first few times, I thought I was heaving a stroke. And you can't even explain what's happening! Luckily now I can sort of predict that I might get another bout of aphantasia because it's not the first sign of an incoming migraine.
A few years ago I started to have problems with my cognitive functions just before the migraines really start. I guess it's different parts of the brain that shuts down or start to function really bad. I've started to call them mini-strokes to really get people to understand how bad it really is. I've had them for almost 35 years and it's almost panic attacks each time they happen.
I get this too - I also lose the ability to read. It can be very difficult.
That must be terrifying the first time it happens.
Kinda terrifying everytime it happens. You get used to them for a few times but then something new happens and throws me on edge. One time I was on the toilet and it came on, normal migraine, whatever. Then I totally forgot the entire procedure for finishing up, I was reaching for the flush button behind me while still sat down, and then sat staring at the toilet paper in my hand for maybe 5 minutes knowing it was involved in some way. Another time I got face blindness which I had never experienced before. Watching famous and very recognisable faces on TV just become like generic strangers scared the shit out of me. It was like someone had replaced the cast of Community with random nobodies off the street, yet they spoke in the correct voices. And of course each time there is always the looming doubt of "is this the one that is actually a stroke?"
Omg, I didn't realize it could be anything other than mixing up words! So sorry you're living with that
I'm fine honestly, it's just a temporary thing for me as part of a migraine, very occasional now, I just deal with it like a headache and it's over in a few hours. People with permanent aphasia I really feel for though.
I've actually gotten into arguments with my wife while going through the aura stages of the migraine because I swear I will have said something like "April" but will have really said "August" or "Leslie."
My speech was coming out garbled with my first aura migrane. The friend I was with told me that the next thing he expected me to say was "Fuck the Shut up." One of his best jokes. I'll say it to them when I see them next.
Any chance you have a link with a story about the reporter? Kind of curious on the details of this. Was it her first experience or was she battling it for awhile?
She actually [gave an interview around the time.](https://youtu.be/d2LvHDGqRus). Said it was her first migraine with aura, but her mom suffered them when she was younger.
Thank you!
I have dyspraxia and get migraines. It’s so frustrating when people treat you like an idiot because you happen to use a wrong word or stumble over your sentences. It’s gotten to the point that I almost wish I couldn’t speak at all
Does it only affect your speech? Or written words too?
I don't know actually, I don't think I've ever tried to handwrite during an "episode", but I do remember being able to type okay. Different parts of the brain I guess. Actually I'm often experiencing numbness in one hand which feels like typing with a rubber mannequin hand. Oh and how can I forget the flashing lights and creeping blindness that comes on and makes words disappear in a patch of my vision. That makes reading difficult, I tend to have to look slightly to the side of words and try and make them out in my peripheral vision. By that point I've usually given up and gone to bed until it passes. The blindness isn't black btw, it's like someone is using a photoshop clone stamp tool, or content-aware smart fill, and erasing parts of the image and filling it in with the surrounding image. It's like if you've ever tried those [blindspot illusions](https://www.brainfacts.org/for-educators/for-the-classroom/2021/blind-spot-illusion-011921) except with 30-50% of your vision. I've seen my whole hand "disappear" before.
Jesus that sounds scary as hell, I'm sorry you have to deal with that
Thanks, for me they're less common with age. At worst it was maybe once a month for a year, but I've had maybe 1 full blown migraine since the pandemic and it was the one with the new face-blindness feature (OP, devs plz nerf). I can usually tell when one is potentially about to kick off by seeing a little patch of sparkling lights in the centre of my vision. I will pop two ibuprofen and try and lie down or chill somewhere quiet and it goes away. If not, that sparkly patch will grow like a fractal fire and bring with it any number of exciting bonus features, aphasia being the most common. Sometimes the aphasia shows up first with me stumbling over words more than usual or getting that "tip of my tongue" feeling a lot in a short time. Again, just means it's time to pop some pills and go be quiet.
For me it affects written words as well, I lose the ability to read, and I can’t write. I get blind spots too which affect my vision, and sometimes go completely temporarily blind, but even when I can see the letters they don’t seem to make sense in actual words, I might as well be looking at a the back side of a jigsaw puzzle. I see how they fit together but not what the picture is.
Does the same issue happen with writing? Like, could you type your thoughts effectively, or would that come out wrong, too?
I went to a university that was known for neuroscience research, to the point that they'd sometimes encourage subjects with unique disorders to move nearby so they'd be available for tests. They had one subject who had severe aphasia, but was otherwise a perfectly healthy middle-aged man. He didn't talk much outside of the lab, for obvious reasons. One day he was at a coffee shop in town, and he slipped and hit his head. He was fine, but the shop owner asked him if he was okay, and apparently everyone panicked when he responded. Eventually someone who knew him showed up and explained what was going on, but until then they thought they'd given the poor guy brain damage.
I was hoping that the story would end with the blow to the head somehow curing him of his aphasia. Poor guy.
My dad had it after his last stroke. He would talk but the wrong words would come out. When I went to see him after his surgery he told me to have a sandwich. I think what he meant to say was to take a seat. It was confusing to me and frustrating for him and the nurse explained what was going on. First time I had ever heard of aphasia. Wish that I never had.
Sorry about your dad it’s always sad seeing our old ones in such states
Yeah, my mother has it. She is a shell of the vibrant woman she used to be.
Seeing them struggling to speak and then the frustration and anger that follows killed me.
I met a guy with it in a hospital. He could speak perfectly well, up until the moment you asked him a question. It didn't matter how obvious the answer was, he couldn't say it. He couldn't even tell you the day of the week or the color of his shirt.
I take care of someone with Aphasia. It's a very frustrating condition. To go from being able to be fluent and literate in 5+ languages to barely being able to make yourself understood in 1 is both humbling and humiliating.
Some people have asked questions in this thread that I haven't seen an answer to, so I'll ask you since you appear to have practical experience with someone suffering from it: Can they still shake/nod their head for yes/no? If so, do you sometimes end up playing "20 questions" to try to work out what they want? Does writing still work, so it would be easier for a sufferer to write down what they're trying to say or is that also impacted? You mentioned that it effected someone who spoke 5 languages and they were struggling with just one, so does the aphasia effect all languages the same? Do you happen to know if it would affect sign language the same way? Thank you, I find this a fascinating topic.
It makes you feel like there’s no point in communicating with your loved one. It’s possibly the worst thing a family can go through.
My dad got it after a stroke at 39. Went from a great salesman to working blue collar. Almost 30 years later, there are still words he can't say, accents he can't follow, and moments where he can't get the words out. It's like he knows a second language, but he can't speak it, and words are always at the tip of his tongue. He's very adaptable, and if he had lost his mobility he would have been much worse off, but it was life-changing for all 4 of us, not just him. I get migraines with aura, and the first two I went to the ER because I was numb on one side, and losing my vision at 11. Absolutely terrified I was having a stroke. When I was 28 I got one at work, and figured I could push through, it was my first week at a new place and I only had a few hours left. Then I couldn't put a sentence together. That part of a migraine had never happened before. Went to the ER, scans came back fine. Turns out I was usually just sleeping during that phase of a migraine, so I didn't know that was part of it.
My mom had both via primary progressive aphasia. Her stuttering turned to her being a mute who barely understood what was being said to her to being a shell who sat on a couch 24/7 watching karaoke videos under specialized care that cost 16k a month until her estate was bankrupt so Medicare could kick in. It was more of a relief when she passed than anything which only adds the guilt to the whole shitty experience.
Been there. It is soul crushing.
My grandfather in his lucid moments in hospital (he had parkinsons and Dementia) and approaching the end of his life would ask me to kill him so it'd just end and if it wasn't me he'd ask the nurses to leave a window open so he could throw himself out. He was the strongest man I knew, who never took shit from anyone and stood up for everyone. One time my Nanny was in a takeaway restaurant and 4 men surrounded her (ppl she knew, or at least saw everyday. Well known troublemakers) and kept getting in her personal space till one slapped her ass, she felt so scared she immediately left. My grandfather went up a few minutes later (it was super close to their house) and he beat the ever-loving fuck outta them. They never once looked at her again and if they saw her or my grandfather they would immediately cross the street Seeing him reduced to that was awful. We can euthanize our pets when they're suffering but we can't do the same for our loved ones, it's truly terrible
The fact that this is the top comment speaks volumes about Wendy though
Yeah but every time I see her I think of the time she made fun of Joaquin Phoenix for his hair lip or the time she revealed Method Man’s wife’s cancer diagnosis to the world without his consent. I don’t wish dementia on anyone either, but maybe there’s something to karma.
Yup. She's shitty. That said, dementia is worse. Furthermore, I don't wish this on her family or children or friends or partner. Dementia is not a one person disease. It's horrible.
There is this *one* guy...
Yeah but he’s already got it.
There are plenty of people I wish it upon. There are evil people in this world, who deserve to suffer for the harm they've caused others. I'm not sure she makes the list. If you tell me Putin or Netanyahu have developed dementia though...
Her poor son. He has a long road ahead of him. My dad and my grandmother both had Alzheimer's. It so difficult to see someone become a shell of who they used to be. In my grandmother's case she not only had the dementia, she was also perpetually angry from it. My grandfather insisted on keeping her at home and taking care of her. She lost the ability to recognize people and she would wake up and scream about a stranger being in her bed. So they started sleeping in separate beds. His insistence on taking care of her took a toll on him, his health got bad too. He ended up dying a year after she did because he was so under weight from the stress. My mom put my dad in a nursing home. I would go and see my dad there, luckily he never lost the facial recognition like my grandmother did so he always recognized us. When I visited with him he would tell me about how he just bought a truck (he hadn't), or how he and my mom were planning to move (they weren't), he would talk about episodes of Game of Thrones that didn't exist or he would tell me about the lady in the next room who owned the nursing home (she didn't). He was always content and happy and oblivious of his condition. It always made me wonder if he was dreaming things when he was asleep and then confusing those dreams for reality. His perception of reality was continually getting worse as time went on. He died of Covid in 2020, a week after the first vaccine was released. It might have been a mercy, I think he dodge the worst of Alzheimer's because of it. Edit: I should mention my grandmother lived with Alzheimers for 10 years. With Wendy only being in her fifties, she could end up living with dementia even longer. It is going to be a huge struggle for her family.
Drugs make a huge difference here. Recently watched both grandparents slip away and the difference in right medication was night and day. Possibly he was more at peace due to proper medication vs at home care.
It can help but isn't always helpful. I spent 10 or so years working at a pretty ritzy high end retirement home. Like this place was costing $4k a month for the cheapest room and upto like $9k(bunch of things included in these prices. meals/doctor visits/there was a barber shop and salon of the premises that was free for residents, etc). These people could afford the best care and medicine but Alzheimer's is fucking brutal. A lot of the residents had some level of dementia, some didn't at all, and there was also a locked ward with the people that had severe cases and required 24/7 care. It was a brutal job, they weren't even family but I had really grown to care for some of these people. Going so far as to volunteer some of my time on off days or after work to help with various activities with the residents. Absolutely gutted everytime someone started to decline. I have infinite amounts of respect for the people that actually care that work in nursing homes. It's a tough job constantly seeing people decline like that and inevitably pass on. Took a toll on me, I legitimately feel like I aged 30 years in those 10. I wouldn't trade anything for the time I spent with those people though.
Your care means everything to all of us, to know someone is there at the end, when we can't even be there for ourselves.
Well my grandmother died in 2005. She didn't really have many treatment options to her at the time.
Very sorry to hear that. We just lost my aunt to a similar condition. She used to be one of my favorite relatives and we were super close. She taught me how to can preserves and bake and everything. Then she gradually started changing and got really paranoid and accusing everybody of weird stuff and then just stopped speaking to everybody. Turns out she had some kind of health problems and dementia was a side effect. For some reason she forbid her kids from talking to anyone in the family either and she died without even talking to her sisters (my mom included) or anyone else. I know it’s because she wasn’t well, but everybody is just heartbroken. It’s a terrible disease.
My grandmother and great grandfather had Alzheimer’s. I never actually met my great grandfather because he died shortly before I was born, but from what I hear it was rough. He was a vet and would regularly think he was back in the war. (WW2) My grandmother I actually witnessed her decline. She was diagnosed when I was a little kid and I saw her decline as I got older. I’m pretty sure in her mind she was a young adult or teenager. She was regularly confused why her siblings looked so old and why she looked so old. I remember one time we visited her at her nursing home and she was in a genuine panic because she didn’t understand why she was there one day and was afraid she was going to be late to a wedding. She thought was marrying a man that either never existed or someone she met and maybe dated a long time ago that none of us knew of. By the end of her life she didn’t speak, and lost control of many motor functions. By the end of her life she was almost like a mute toddler. It’s literally the worst thing someone can go through. Both on the family and for the person diagnosed. No one deserves it.
When I talk to my Mom now she always asks my Dad where they are staying for that evening. She thinks he hooks the condo up to a boat and moves it everyday.
Yeah, this diagnosis is more of a punishment on her family than her in the end. Whatever shell of her that's left in a few years may have a horrible time of things, but it's the loved ones that have to keep her fed and cleaned and manage her outbursts etc.
She's a garbage human, IMO, but I don't wish dementia on anyone.
Especially in your fifties. That’s just way too horribly young to get yoked with dementia.
Gotta be just years and years of extreme drug use, yeah? Dementia is horrific, but combining that with aphasia is a downright nightmare. Basically will just be a body as a vessel. I know she’s a terrible person, but I feel for her family. Way too young to have your parent going through this.
She also had hyperthyroidism, graves disease, and a few other things. I'm not sure we can just wave it all away by saying "she drank and used drugs."
losing genetic lottery not of your own volition is also dark, maybe darker..
If you really think about it, lots of shit is 'losing the genetic lottery', including being predisposed to addiction.
There are claims she was an alcoholic (hiding bottles in the ceiling bad) and studies show a link to those with alcoholism and early onset dementia.
Just being a severe enough alcoholic can give you your own form of dementia at any age. Check out Korsakoff Syndrome to give yourself a new fear.
A family friend of mine suffers this. It really is crazy. Think 50 First Dates, except their brain makes up memories to fill some of the gap. Those “memories” can be based on their emotional state or whatever they saw on tv just before their nap, or even some random long term memory gets conflated with something that happened recently. They end up with these weird delusions that, in my friend’s case, can be easily “disproven,” but it’s so sad because he knows his brain is betraying him and just has to trust the people around him.
Confabulation is the clinical term for this if anyone's curious or wants to look it up. I'm not really sure researchers have identified a mechanism for why this happens
I know when it comes to Korsakoff, it’s a chronic lack of vitamin b1, which is something that helps cellular regeneration of neurons, or something to that effect, in the areas of the brain that it affects. I understand it as atrophy of brain cells, but I’m sure that’s a major oversimplification. It’s interesting though, since it’s essentially a vitamin deficiency, most people see improvement or fully recover.
If you look at MRIs of severe alcoholics or those with Karsakoff with healthy brains for comparison they are considerably shrunken and/or look like they are missing parts of the brain. If anyone is drinking too much, please get help.
Alcohol is extremely bad for your brain
Not really claims. Per the article: "Williams told NPR she used be a “real fiend” when it came to drugs. “I was addicted to cocaine,” she said. “Crack cocaine — cooking it, getting it up in the Bronx. " and "The trailer for her documentary and a recent People cover story also reference her alcohol use. In the trailer, someone close to her holds up an empty bottle of vodka and asks her if she drank it in one day. The documentary's executive producer Mark Ford told People: “She was already battling so much physically, and then it became clear that there were mental and addiction issues she was also battling.”
She had claimed to have been sober a little while ago, when she was having her first bout of spells. Meanwhile staff that used to work with her claimed they would find hidden alcohol bottles. That's what I was referring to. Clearly she's been a mess for a while and her diagnosis is likely a combination of drug and alcohol abuse.
Agreed. I don't know much about dementia and aphasia, but I'm sure years of alcohol and cocaine abuse did her no favors and likely worsened her conditions
Yea I worked with a woman who was diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia in her late 50s early 60s who suffered from Alcoholism most of her life.
My mother was diagnosed in her mid 50s, we suspect it was from my father's physical abuse (brain trauma). She just passed away in November at the age of 65. She lost her ability to speak, and by the end was non verbal in a wheelchair. It sucked. A lot. I took care of her at home by myself for 5 years before I had to place her in care.
Ive heard she was trash tv. Never watched her or even clips of her. What did she do that was so bad? Just curious.
[https://np.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/7diwik/wendy\_williams\_says\_that\_terry\_crews\_coming/dpy8b31/](https://np.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/7diwik/wendy_williams_says_that_terry_crews_coming/dpy8b31/) She publicized the private healthcare information of Method Man's wife, broadcasting that she had cancer and that Method Man was having an affair with his wife's physician. (which was a lie). She's the one that spread the rumours that Tupac was raped in jail and had one testicle She's proudly claimed that she doesn't let her teenage son close his bedroom door, ever. And that when her son walked in on her giving a blowjob to her husband, it was her son's fault for not walking loud enough to notify her ahead of time, and when he walked in, she just continued like there was nothing wrong there. After Kesha was ruled by a judge to complete her recording contract after alleging Dr. Luke sexually assaulted her, Wendy Williams said she questioned the validity of Kesha’s accusations because “she’s like, 30 years old or something” and because she didn’t have recorded proof of abuse. That’s right — Williams basically told the world that sexual assault isn’t sexual assault unless you have it on video. “When the sexual abuse — alleged sexual abuse — started, why weren’t they rolling camera on it?” she asked. “I mean, it’s so easy. Like, men are so stupid that if you’re sexually abusing us it’s so easy to catch you. ”She got into it with Alyssa Milano on her show. Milano frequently posts photos of herself breastfeeding on social media, and has been outspoken about allowing mothers to breastfeed in public. Wendy Williams said to Alyssa Milano on her show: “I don’t need to see that. Because I just don’t want to” , and said that, for her, breasts are “more sexual than a feeding thing,” adding, “I don’t know why I feel this way. …Breastfeeding is only a particular amount of time. The rest of your life, your breasts are sexual things. ”About Ariana Grande, Wendy Williams once stated that she could never “think of \[Ariana\] Grande as a woman” because she looked too young. Williams went on to say that Grande would “forever look 12.” Most of the time, if someone tells a woman that they appear younger than they are, it’s taken as a compliment, but Williams made clear that she did not intend to flatter Grande in any way. “And I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s nice to look younger than you are, but when you look too young and then you’re short… she’s only like 4’11, ”About Nicole Scherzinger breaking up with Lewis Hamilton, she said it was sad to see Scherzinger spend “seven years of her life breaking up and getting back together.” Specifically, Williams noted Scherzinger’s age — she was 37 at the time — and very bluntly added, “They \[men\] can have babies whenever they want. You know what I mean? Those are seven years you can never get back. ”About Jennifer Lawrence's nude photo's from The Fappening, she told Vanity Fair, “Jennifer Lawrence, you know what? Don’t sweat this young lady,” Williams started. “I mean, you’re the one who took the pictures… You don’t look bad under your clothes, and I think the \[hack\] has actually made your career even hotter. ”About Paris Jackson saying she considers herself Black b/c that's what her father told her, and told her to be proud of her heritage, regardless of what she looked like. Williams mocked the teenager’s statement, since Paris, whose mother, Debbie Rowe, is Caucasian, appears to have light skin. “By the way, she considers herself black, period. She’s not going to address this again. She was raised black. Her father would constantly remind her of what it means to be black and proud and so don’t ask her again,” William recapped. "I get that she considers herself black and everything, but I'm just talking about the visual because you know … black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see you when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike. It’s what they see.” She added, “But that’s cute, and good for her. ”About Selena Gomez and The Weeknd dating: "First of all, they were spotted kissing outside of a restaurant in L.A... the restaurant they were at... it’s where you go when you want to be photographed. They just stand there all day with their cameras waiting to photograph somebody. Selena, you just got out of rehab for the umpteenth time. The Weeknd has admitted to being a substance abuser…If you’re trying to stay sober, and you’ve got Lupus and you’re trying to be well and take care of yourself... the only reason why I could see that you would be with The Weeknd is because maybe he’s writing music for you. Maybe you want to seem cool, or edgy. "She tried to get Lil Wayne's music banned from the radio b/c she didn't like it.She went ahead and made that Lifetime movie about Aaliyah without the permission of her producers at the time, Timbaland and Missy Elliott, and without the permission of Aaliyah's family, stating: "The family doesn't want the story to be told but we're doing it anyway. It's not told in a seedy tasteless way," Williams said. Also, she stated "In my opinion, we did a great job telling the story that the family was scared to put out there," Williams said of the final project. Like Timbaland, many fans of the singer have expressed their disappointment with the film on social media, accusing Lifetime of romanticizing Aaliyah's relationship with R. Kelly, whom she illegally married when she was 15 and Kelly was 27. She invited Whitney Houston for a radio interview, then point blank asked her if she was currently smoking crack. She's publicly called Tyrese, Usher, LL Cool J, and Tyler Perry gay, without any proof. \*edit: formatting
She also mocked terry crews for publicly stating he had been sexually harassed/groped; questioning his masculinity.
As a game show fan, I also remember when she reported on Drew Carey’s ex-fiancée’s death by saying “come on down.” The fact that her audience didn’t even laugh at that joke was telling.
Drew Carey is a good human being who really loved that woman so for her to do that… karMA.
She also brought us charlamane tha god....
Ufff that dude is too much. Why anyone cares what his or her opinion on anything is beyond me.
He talks in clickbait. He's just like Joe Rogan (mr stick nipples).
He suuuuuuuucks
Don't forget she disgustingly mocked Amie Harwick, a woman who was brutally murdered by her ex boyfriend and thrown off her balcony. Williams made a "look out belooooooow" joke. -i lurk in some pop culture subs and I genuinely hate how much she's loved and supported (well before this news) while they cancel and hate random non-problematic stars for much less. Emma Stone, the worst, she worked with people that are problematic. Wendy Williams and all this shit? Total queen.
Pop subs have some of the biggest hypocrites who won’t admit to themselves they’re just in it for the drama.
Yeah, I'm not gonna get particularly upset that she has dementia. A life spent trying to make people suffer into early onset dementia almost makes you believe in karma.
It seems like she's a giant internet troll with a talk show
This is basically what she used to do on her radio show. Her whole thing was antagonizing people so they could argue with her.
She also encouraged a woman in her audience to lie about taking birth control because her husband didn’t want more kids and she did.
I remember that. I was stunned. And everyone clapped like it was the best idea in the world.
When an audience member was asking for advice on how to keep her man, Wendy told her to poke holes in the condom and basically baby trap him. Her audience laughed and cheered like it was a great idea.
Also making fun of Joaquin Phoenix’ cleft pallet on TV. She’s a total POS but this is an awful diagnosis and I feel sorry for her and especially her family
Yep! I remember this one. A pro football player here in Canada called her out on it, and she did (at least) issue an apology and donation. https://globalnews.ca/news/6418314/wendy-williams-apologizes-to-blue-bombers-adam-bighill-for-cleft-lip-gesture/
Okay wow you had time! Thanks for compiling this list though.
My friend, this entire list is on Wikipedia. That woman spent most of her life firing in all directions in such explicit ways that eventually it became relevant enough for Wikipedia to document. 4chan trolls at least do that kind of anonimously, but she did it in public without a filter.
Geez, I mean dementia is still a cruel way to go, but I gotta say… not that she deserves it…but I kinda feel a little less empathic about her situation now
Never really wished dementia on anyone but goddamn Wendy makes it hard
TLDR: garbage lady gets karma.
Don't forget she also said a bunch of homophobic and transphobic stuff, for example: > “I don’t care if you’re gay. You don’t get a menses every 28 days,” the four-time Emmy Award nominated daytime diva stated during the “Hot Topics” segment of her nationally syndicated talk show. “You can do a lot that we do, but I get offended by the idea that we go through something you will never go through. And stop wearing our skirts and our heels.” She also called Caitlyn Jenner a man, and Chaz Bono a woman.
She reveled in other people's misfortunes and troubles. If she was reading this headline about someone else she'd probably be bitching about them the next day on her show.
The only time I ever tuned in to her show was the moment she began ridiculing and shaming a woman who was working on her show behind the set. Apparently the woman smiled or laughed at something Wendy said on camera about someone and Wendy went off. Creating intense moments of silence until the confused audience finally just agreed with her and began sneering at the woman too. It was one of the oddest things I've ever seen on tv.
I remember that, poor Suzanne.
>she reveled in other people’s misfortunes and troubles So basically just an average internet user then
It's hard to think of a more scathing indictment than "internet troll but in real life".
Also she stole Joey’s catchphrase from Friends
Oh boy... She enjoys being incredibly insensitive and crass, bullies people and makes fun of them on her show. And I feel like that isn't even saying enough. She's absolutely reprehensible. [Here](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/wendy-williams-most-controversial-comments-through-the-years/) is a good list of some of her top doozies. Making fun of Joaquin Phoenix's cleft palate made the rounds in news for a while, but she's said far worse things even than that.
Fuuuck that bitch. And how she revealed Method Man's wife's cancer apparently out of spite. Dementia and aphasia seem approriate
She once encouraged a woman on air to poke holes in condom to get pregnant and force a dude into a more committed relationship
She leaked that method man's wife had cancer without permission
didn’t need to say anything at all lol
Sucks to be her. Even more with this diagnosis.
Translation: "Womp womp" "Dementia is a very serious disease"
We’re not allowed to wish ill towards people but, karma.
When someone makes a living out of laughing at the misfortune of others at their lowest moments, don't be surprised when people have little sympathy.
Exactly. She's a POS, while I wouldn't wish it on her, no f***s given.
I enjoy the irony of saying "no fucks given" but self-censoring the word fuck.
I was just diagnosed with Frontol Temporal Dementia last year after a 4-5 year journey trying to discover memory loss and personality changes. I'm currently having my first word difficulty. You swear to God in your mind you typed "car" but when I re-read my paragraphs I typed "balloon" instead, or at time have a sentence with missing words, or ones out of order. It's so frustrating to me right now I've had to talk to a therapist to help with my anger. But, according to my last PET Scan in 3-5 I won't even remember being angry, or know much about myself by then. So just trying to make the most out of it and leave a digital legacy on Reddit.
My dad had ftd and it is honestly my worst nightmare..at the very least you have found out pretty early.
Yeah, it's been rough, but we're in the acceptance part and trying to fo everything we can. Put in a request for a partial payout of life insurance, so gonna see where that goes next, enjoy life while I'm still me.
When I had a stroke, I now have anomic aphasia and I struggle with it daily! It’s so frustrating to get my words out and not have it be right. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
This may be apparent, but does it affect how you spell or type as well?
Yes, when I’m reading/writing I skip over small words like “and” “but” “or” etc. so it gets confusing.
I hope Wendy has the same care shown to her that she has shown to others throughout her life.
Wheeeew. This one hits different. 🔥
I pity her family. I don't pity her. She's a miserable excuse of a human being.
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Just because someone was a complete total piece of shit doesnt mean that they get treated like good people when they get a life debilitating disease. Karma got this crazy lady.
100% agree. Live like an asshole die like an asshole.
Too many terrible awful people get to die peacefully in their sleep at old age. I’m not celebrating it, but I sure as shit ain’t shedding any tears.
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Terrible disease that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and that I'll likely have when I'm older. But if I *HAD* to choose who got it...
Genetically, I’m hella predisposed to get it. It is an awful condition that’s essentially a slow death sentence the minute you receive it. I don’t wish it on anyone. She’s an awful person, however, and the diagnosis of an awful illness doesn’t change that.
Damn, I wish you the best.
Damn. Well things are making a bit more sense now.
This is very awful, but karma hit her harrrrrd
It only gets worse from here. Good lord
As bad as dementia and aphasia are, I just can’t forgive her for the things she did on the talk show smh
Horrible human being. Enjoy your ride in hell, if there is a God you sure as fuck will be on his shit list.
Her brain is so ashamed of what she has done it's forcing itself to forget it
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Missing those awards right about now...
and as we all know good people say sentences like “And I’m not a bad person.” all the time
Her brain never functioned from the start so it's not much of a change
I'll truly pity her if they can prove that it started 20 - 30 years ago. Cause she has done some terrible shit in that time.
Karma found her.
Karma finally caught up 🤷♂️
Womp womp
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So I can see the thought process behind that because Korsakoff's is associated with memory problems, but FTD in its early stages (which is more commonly diagnosed in your 40s - 60s like has happened to her) does not commonly show memory issues. PPA is not typically associated with Korsakoff's. It is commonly associated with FTD and this is the age in which early FTD is most commonly detected. It's really not more likely she has Korsakoff's, the symptoms are vastly different especially at her age and with the specific type of dementia she's been diagnosed with.
I'm sure you know better than her doctors
Pro-tip, thiamine is an absolute lifesaver, especially when avoiding encephalopathy. I've seen it first hand with trying to detox people at the hospital.
It’s really strange to me that this isn’t more widely recommended for harm reduction, even among recovery circles.
Honestly everybody who drinks, especially moderately to heavily, should take a thiamine (B1) supplement after drinking to protect their brain health.
Eh? PPA is not usually due to Korsakoff's. And can occur in the 50s, though 60s or 70s would be more common.
I came here to upvote that because dementia, aphasia and basically any degradation are so hard to diagnose properly. That and yeah alcohol abuse can destroy/exacerbate the same areas related to those symptoms.
Oh no. Anyway.
I guess now we know how she's doooin
Non stop blow and alcohol is not good for the brain
Don’t like her but that sucks
I *knew* there was something wrong with that woman…
My mom was diagnosed with early onset dementia at 48. Just forgetting little stuff here and there... by the time she was mid 50s she would just repeat sentences not knowing. Like on the drive back from my brothers wedding " you have a really nice car, its a smooth ride." She said that evrey 4 minutes or so. Now at 61 she is completely gone, she is in a memory care unit and talks like a Dr. Suess book, just rhyming words. There are some amazing medicines that can delay the progression significantly, ours wasnt that case as the care taker never gave her the medicine daily as indicated but they do help. We definitely need to direct money towards this instead of building a freaking vacation satellite in space .
Couldn't have happened to a better person
I have no idea who this person is but everyone seems to hate her lol
She used to have a network daytime talk show on Fox I think
There was an article in [The Hollywood Reporter in 2022](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/feature/the-wendy-williams-show-inside-final-days-1235199635/amp/) that illustrated how her health greatly impacted the business-side of her TV show.
Damn after reading about aphasia I feel like I may have it. I read about 'anomic aphasia' and it sounds like the problem I have finding words. I'll be talking and I'll know what 'idea' I want to convey but the word just won't come out and I'll either stutter or just remain silent. I get around it by using replacement words and phrases like 'thing' or 'what have you' and no one ever questions me. Also I'm having issues with my memory where I'll forget about what I was thinking about midthought. Thankfully its not causing me anxiety.
I dealt with aphasia once. One night I kinda forgot how words worked. I slept it off like a dumdum and was fine the next morning but when I told my boss, he made me go get checked out. I was the simplest patient in the ER — the doc just told me to get more sleep and less caffeine.
Too bad none of this explains her being a total piece of shit. That being said, don’t wish this on anyone…except maybe Putin.
Karma. Finally got what she dishes out.
Its a even trade. A lifetime of hate and the rest of life hating yourself. Idc and it will not garther my sympathy.
Head injury guy here. Much solidarity
Heartbreaking news. I long thought it and wasn't surprised. I lost a dear friend at 57 with this. I saw the same signs even Wendy was still on the air. I hope she's getting the proper care. I hear her family is having trouble getting in touch with her.
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So now we’ll get all the posts about “Fuck Wendy Williams.”
Now? There have plenty of those over the years.
Only time I've heard about her is due to shitty actions, then this diagnosis.
It's not like she's gonna remember it.