THEY
THEY TOLD
THEY TOLD 9NEWS REPORTER STEVE HOW THEY LEARNED TO COPE.
>> I FEEL LIKE I LIVE WITH TWO
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. I
PEOPLE. I HAVE LIVED WITH THE DAN I
KNOW AND LOVE AND A STRANGER.
I DO NOT KNOW WHO I AM GOING TO
GET.
GET.
GET. >>
GET. >> Reporter: IN A SMALL TOWN IT
IS RARE TO RUN INTO A STRANGER.
>> SHE SNUCK COCKROACHES TO PUT
ON THE PLATES TO SEND BACK TO
THE KITCHEN.
THE KITCHEN. >> Reporter: HERE IN PAGOSA
SPRINGS, EVERYBODY KNOWS DAN
KEUNING.
KEUNING.
KEUNING. >> HAVING BREAKFAST WITH MY OLD
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. >> Reporter: HE WAS KNOWN FOR
HIS TWO CAREERS, ONE AS A END-
OF-LIFE CARE NURSE AND THE
OTHER, ARCHULETA COUNTY CORNER.
THAT IS DAN KEUNING 2 1/2 YEARS
AGO WHEN HE SAT DOWN WITH US
AND WHEN HE BEGAN TO NOTICE
SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
>> WE HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY TO,
IT HAS BEEN ABOUT WE WERE
GOING OVER THE MONTROSE.
>> Reporter: FORGETTING THE
NAME OF A TOWN MAY NOT FAZE YOU
OR ME.
OR ME.
OR ME. >>
OR ME. >> THE WORDS WERE NOT THERE.
IT WAS LIKE A BLOCK.
>> Reporter: IT SCARED THE OUT
OF DAN KEUNING BECAUSE IT WAS
NOT THE FIRST TIME.
>> I WAS FORGETTING THINGS AT
WORK, AT THE END OF THE DAY I
WOULD FORGET TO CHART.
>> Reporter: HIS WIFE LISL
KEUNING CHOCKED ALL OF IT UP
TO AGING.
TO AGING.
TO AGING. HER WAKE-UP CALL CAME LATER
WITH A LOOK AT THE BANK
ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT. >> OUR FINANCES WERE A
DISASTER.
DISASTER.
DISASTER. HE HAD TAKEN OUT LOANS I DID
NOT KNOW.
NOT KNOW.
NOT KNOW. HE WAS A PERFECT SUBJECT FOR
THOSE THINGS YOU GET IN THE
MAIL.
MAIL.
MAIL. >>
MAIL. >> Reporter: HE ENCRYPTED THE
FAMILY AND HE HAD NO MEMORY OF
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> IT
IT. >> IT WAS DEVASTATING FOR HIM
AS WELL BECAUSE HE COULD NOT
EXPLAIN WHY.
EXPLAIN WHY. >> Reporter: DOCTORS DELIVERED
A ANSWER, ONE THAT DID NOT
ERASE THE QUESTION.
>> YOU HAVE FRONTAL TEMPORAL
DEMENTIA.
DEMENTIA.
DEMENTIA. IT WAS SHOCKING.
NOW WHAT?
NOW WHAT?
NOW WHAT? THERE REALLY IS NO TREATMENT
FOR THIS DISEASE.
>> Reporter: DEMENTIA AT AGE
47.
47.
47. >>
47. >> HEARING THAT, YOU MAY NOT
MAKE IT TO SEE GRADUATIONS, OR
WEDDINGS OR BE AWARE OF IT.
IT IS REALLY HARD.
>> Reporter: TWO YEARS LATER,
THIS FAMILY STILL FEELS
HELPLESS YET THEY REFUSE TO ASK
THE QUESTION WHY.
>> EVERY APPOINTMENT WE GO TO,
THEIR CONCLUSION IS, HE WILL
CONTINUE TO DECLINE.
>> Reporter: HIS DIAGNOSIS IS
FRONTAL TEMPORAL DEMENTIA, HE
IS SLOWLY LOSING IMPULSE
CONTROL ALONG WITH HIS MEMORY.
HE WILL DO SOMETHING OUT OF
CHARACTER AND NOT REMEMBER IT
HOURS LATER.
HOURS LATER. IT CAN OFTEN FEEL LIKE A
STRANGER.
STRANGER.
STRANGER. THE FAMILY TREATS THE DISEASE
LIKE IT.
LIKE IT.
LIKE IT. >> WE CALL THE DISEASE ALI, IT
WAS NOT DAN KEUNING MAKING THE
BED DECISIONS.
BED DECISIONS. IT WAS NOT DAN KEUNING WHO
CALLS ME NAMES, IT IS ALI.
>> Reporter: DAN KEUNING'S
FAMILY KNOWS ALI WELL.
OTHER FOLKS IN TOWN DO NOT SEEM
TO UNDERSTAND.
TO UNDERSTAND. >> THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ASK
HOW ARE YOU BECAUSE WE MIGHT
TELL THEM THE TRUTH AND THAT IS
SCARY.
SCARY.
SCARY. IT
SCARY. IT IS ISOLATING.
>> Reporter: THEY CHOOSE NOT TO
FOCUS ON THE FEELING OF
ISOLATION OR THE FRUSTRATION OF
SOMEBODY SIMPLY SLIPPING AWAY.
>> WE ARE CHOOSING JOY AND
TRYING VERY HARD TO MAKE
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES. >> Reporter: THEY CHOOSE JOY.
>> WE RENEWED OUR VOWS ON THE
BEACH.
BEACH.
BEACH. >>
BEACH. >> WHEN YOU SAID IT THE FIRST
TIME YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU
WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH -- YOU
LIKE THE FOR BETTER PART OF
THOSE THINGS BUT THE WORST
THING SUCKS AND THIS IS WORSE.
>> Reporter: IT IS A POWERFUL
DECISION, ONE DAY HOPE MAY
INSPIRE SOMEBODY ELSE.
>> YOU CAN LIVE WITH THE
DISEASE AND FIND JOY.
>> Reporter: MAKING NEW
MEMORIES IS HEALTHIER THAN
ASKING WHY.
ASKING WHY. >> FOR ME, SOMETIMES IT CAN BE
A LONG GOODBYE.
THAT IS WHAT I AM DOING.
AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER IT.
AND TO LIVE IT THAT WAY, I