Dementia can sneak up on you. I know, because it happened to my family.

Back in the early 2000s, my first wife, Ginny, began demonstrating some unusual behavior. She was not her usual bubbly self. Instead, she became caustic, somewhat aggressive, got lost driving and was unable to follow written directions.

At times, these episodes frustrated me, but I assumed they were caused by stress or marital difficulties. Then, one day, we went to dinner at a favorite Indian restaurant near our home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The hostess met us at the front door, and I greeted her by name. As we sat down, Ginny asked how I knew her. I responded by saying that we knew her from the last time we........

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