[ad_1]
Wendy Williams has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, a language disorder, her health care team announced in a news release Thursday morning.
Her team confirmed that “after undergoing a series of medical tests,” Williams was diagnosed with both conditions in 2023, and that they “have already presented significant obstacles in Wendy’s life.”
Frontotemporal dementia is the same condition that actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with last year; The progressive disorder affects behavior and cognitive functions. Aphasia is a condition that affects language and communication skills and involves the gradual loss of the ability to speak, read, write and understand what others say.
According to the press release, Williams’ team decided to share his diagnosis with the public “to correct inaccurate and hurtful rumors about his health.”
“In recent years, questions have sometimes been raised about Wendy’s ability to process information and many have speculated about Wendy’s condition, particularly when she began to lose words, act erratically at times, and have difficulty understanding words. financial transactions,” the press reported. launch readings.
The statement ends on an optimistic note about the former talk show host’s current status: “Despite the diagnoses, Wendy can still do a lot of things for herself. Most importantly, she maintains her trademark sense of humor and she receives the attention she needs to ensure that she is protected and that her needs are met. “She appreciates the many kind thoughts and well wishes sent her way.”
The latest news about Williams’ health comes just days before the Lifetime documentary premieres. Where is Wendy Williams?which follows the host’s attempt to launch a comeback with a podcast, but ultimately ended up capturing her struggles with alcohol addiction and health issues, including Graves’ disease and lymphedema.
Before the document’s release, Williams’ family spoke with People about her current condition, revealing that she has been in a facility to treat “cognitive issues” since April 2023. They also said that due to Williams’ legal guardianship, her family members have not been able to call or visit her.
“The people who love her can’t see her,” Williams’ sister Wanda said. People. “I think the big (question) is: How the hell did we get here?”
According to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), up to 60,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with FTD. Susan Dickinson, executive director of AFTD, told The Daily Beast on Thursday that the condition affects both the frontal lobe of the brain (which controls personality, empathy, and our ability to connect with other people) and the temporal lobe, which predominantly controls the language. and a person’s ability to communicate.
The duration of progression in people with FTD ranges from two to more than 20 years, and the average life expectancy is seven to 13 years after the onset of symptoms.
“It is a degenerative condition. Currently there are no disease-modifying treatments. There are some symptomatic treatments, but right now we have no way to slow, stop or prevent the disease,” Dickinson said. Still, she emphasized that it is an “incredibly hopeful time” because of the research being done. “We have eight drugs in clinical trials right now. “So we have more promising therapeutic candidates than ever before.”
As Williams’ press release indicated, there are often stigmas associated with FTD, which Dickinson said typically arise from misunderstandings and even misdiagnoses of the disease.
“It can take on average up to four years to get a diagnosis of FTD, and most people accumulate misdiagnoses along the way,” he explained. “If you think about the symptoms, many people are misdiagnosed with depression or bipolar illness. Some with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. And along the way, there are things that really damage relationships. If I no longer have empathy for other members of my family, or if I start making mistakes at work and lose my job, or if I spend my kids’ college fund and buy a Jaguar, and these are all things that absolutely happen when Lose your frontal capabilities, that will damage relationships. So the longer it takes for people to realize that this is a medical condition, that it’s not just a midlife crisis, that it’s not just that my spouse is an idiot, or whatever people may infer, The more harm is done to the community of people around a person. .”
“Unfortunately, given the symptoms I described, all the stigma that society places on any type of psychiatric diagnosis can also affect people with FTD,” he added.
The key, Dickinson emphasized, is getting an early and accurate diagnosis.
“As difficult as it is to face this diagnosis, being able to have a label, a reason and validation is huge,” Dickinson said. “And it gives you a path to find a compassionate and supportive community, to find accurate information and to be able to take some control. “There are ways to manage these symptoms and there are opportunities to contribute to research and ensure the future is brighter than what we can offer today.”