“I thought it was his way of detaching himself from it,” Sylvia said. “... But I found out later those (behaviors) are typical for FTD.”

John became apathetic about making money so they could maintain their lifestyle, Sylvia said. But she was in denial about what was happening.

Sylvia started keeping a list of John’s bizarre behaviors so she’d have that for a doctor. “When it got to No. 13, that’s when I said I need to go to a doctor.”

She said it was difficult to find the right one. Sylvia had to pretend the appointments were for her, and John was just accompanying her.

When they eventually got the FTD diagnosis, Sylvia said, it was a relief.

However, the research she did told her, “There is no cure, no turning back. It’s a slow, ugly, horrible goodbye.”

The more Sylvia learned, she said during her often humorous talk, the more creative she became in dealing with John. He always took NFL mandates seriously, so as his hygiene habits slipped, she concocted NFL Shower Day at their home: the day all players were “required to take a shower.”