Guest guest Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 Hi everyone: A question to pose to all of you. Has your LO ever just seem to have stablized at a certain point for awhile, with less of the roller coaster ride? I'm not sure if it's my dad's meds that are doing it or what. For about six weeks now, he's been pretty much fine, with only one visit from Lewy. Sure he's still confused at times, tells stories about a large group of people who visit every morning (one of them has apparently swiped his sunglasses). But he's not upset, not agitated. While he's not the Dad he was two years ago, at least he's happy and not flipping out over things every few days. There has only been one episode, which took place last week - giving him five fairly good weeks. For this one, he and his wife went out for a day trip with a group, and had a great time. But when they got home, it changed in a heartbeat. He didn't know who his wife was (demanding to know 'who this woman' was, and why she was in his apartment)and was determined to leave. I think he was mostly scared silly because he just couldn't remember and was confused, what she was telling him didn't make sense, he just didn't recognize her. She called me on my cell (I was on the bus on my way home from work at the time) and I convinced him to stay put until I got there (many pitiful looks came my way on the bus of course!) He waited outside his apartment for me, and when I arrived I convinced him to go inside where it was warmer. His wife stayed in the bedroom while we stayed in the living room and chatted and he calmed down. Among other things, I explained that his illness did this to him sometimes, and that it would pass. " What if it doesn't?? " he kept asking. I just kept telling him that it has always passed before, and it would this time too. I asked if it was OK if she came out, he said sure. We all sat around and talked about nothing in particular, he still didn't recognize her but believed that she was who I said she was. He still remembered that Lewy was a part of his life, and realized that his brain could be playing a sinister trick. He came back to my house with me to do some yard work with my husband and I for awhile, and by the time we went back an hour or two later, he was nearly all right again. They increased one of his meds around the same time that his condition stablized, not the Seroquel but an AD drug that he takes. It seems to have made the difference. Since this whole thing started, I've never seen so many weeks in a row with no emergency phone call for me to come and calm him down. We're counting every good day as a blessing. KD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Yes, my mom has been to the stablized point for a while only to go down hill again and then back up and down . There was a point before Christmas she had a good 4-5 weeks! That was such a blessing for us. Hoping your dad has a long stablized time. Hugs- Sharon a plateau? Hi everyone: A question to pose to all of you. Has your LO ever just seem to have stablized at a certain point for awhile, with less of the roller coaster ride? I'm not sure if it's my dad's meds that are doing it or what. For about six weeks now, he's been pretty much fine, with only one visit from Lewy. Sure he's still confused at times, tells stories about a large group of people who visit every morning (one of them has apparently swiped his sunglasses). But he's not upset, not agitated. While he's not the Dad he was two years ago, at least he's happy and not flipping out over things every few days. There has only been one episode, which took place last week - giving him five fairly good weeks. For this one, he and his wife went out for a day trip with a group, and had a great time. But when they got home, it changed in a heartbeat. He didn't know who his wife was (demanding to know 'who this woman' was, and why she was in his apartment)and was determined to leave. I think he was mostly scared silly because he just couldn't remember and was confused, what she was telling him didn't make sense, he just didn't recognize her. She called me on my cell (I was on the bus on my way home from work at the time) and I convinced him to stay put until I got there (many pitiful looks came my way on the bus of course!) He waited outside his apartment for me, and when I arrived I convinced him to go inside where it was warmer. His wife stayed in the bedroom while we stayed in the living room and chatted and he calmed down. Among other things, I explained that his illness did this to him sometimes, and that it would pass. " What if it doesn't?? " he kept asking. I just kept telling him that it has always passed before, and it would this time too. I asked if it was OK if she came out, he said sure. We all sat around and talked about nothing in particular, he still didn't recognize her but believed that she was who I said she was. He still remembered that Lewy was a part of his life, and realized that his brain could be playing a sinister trick. He came back to my house with me to do some yard work with my husband and I for awhile, and by the time we went back an hour or two later, he was nearly all right again. They increased one of his meds around the same time that his condition stablized, not the Seroquel but an AD drug that he takes. It seems to have made the difference. Since this whole thing started, I've never seen so many weeks in a row with no emergency phone call for me to come and calm him down. We're counting every good day as a blessing. KD Welcome to LBDcaregivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Hi there Sharon! Hope all is well with you and yours. I have to say, having Dad not freaking out on us on a regular basis is great. When you think about it though, it's funny how our level of 'normal' has changed. We're grateful when he isn't wondering who his wife is, isn't trying to leave, isn't having one of those awful periods where he's saying no one cares, no ones loves him, and he's just going to go and walk off and die under a shrub somewhere. He still sees things that aren't there, although they aren't always disturbing to him. Some days, he calls his wife Dave for the morning. This was going on today. By afternoon, when they came back from someplace, he asked where Dave was. She just replied that he said that he had to go somewhere, and wouldn't be back all day! My Dad has always been somewhat demanding. I suspect it has to do with his upbringing as a child, but he has always had to be reassured that he is loved and wanted. In the past, I always he has said this sort of thing to make me (or others) tell him that we love him and care about him. The LBD seems to have exaggerated that. We never know if it's that old Dad making a comeback, or if he really does believe at that moment that no one cares. Sometimes I do think it's just the old Dad, wanting to hear someone say they care and love him. KD > Yes, my mom has been to the stablized point for a while only to go down hill again and then back up and down . > There was a point before Christmas she had a good 4-5 weeks! That was such a blessing for us. > Hoping your dad has a long stablized time. > Hugs- > Sharon > > > a plateau? > > > Hi everyone: > > A question to pose to all of you. Has your LO ever just seem to have > stablized at a certain point for awhile, with less of the roller > coaster ride? > > I'm not sure if it's my dad's meds that are doing it or what. For > about six weeks now, he's been pretty much fine, with only one visit > from Lewy. Sure he's still confused at times, tells stories about a > large group of people who visit every morning (one of them has > apparently swiped his sunglasses). But he's not upset, not agitated. > > While he's not the Dad he was two years ago, at least he's happy and > not flipping out over things every few days. There has only been one > episode, which took place last week - giving him five fairly good > weeks. For this one, he and his wife went out for a day trip with a > group, and had a great time. But when they got home, it changed in a > heartbeat. He didn't know who his wife was (demanding to know 'who > this woman' was, and why she was in his apartment)and was determined > to leave. I think he was mostly scared silly because he just > couldn't remember and was confused, what she was telling him didn't > make sense, he just didn't recognize her. She called me on my cell > (I was on the bus on my way home from work at the time) and I > convinced him to stay put until I got there (many pitiful looks came > my way on the bus of course!) > > He waited outside his apartment for me, and when I arrived I > convinced him to go inside where it was warmer. His wife stayed in > the bedroom while we stayed in the living room and chatted and he > calmed down. Among other things, I explained that his illness did > this to him sometimes, and that it would pass. " What if it > doesn't?? " he kept asking. I just kept telling him that it has > always passed before, and it would this time too. > > I asked if it was OK if she came out, he said sure. We all sat > around and talked about nothing in particular, he still didn't > recognize her but believed that she was who I said she was. He still > remembered that Lewy was a part of his life, and realized that his > brain could be playing a sinister trick. > > He came back to my house with me to do some yard work with my > husband and I for awhile, and by the time we went back an hour or > two later, he was nearly all right again. > > They increased one of his meds around the same time that his > condition stablized, not the Seroquel but an AD drug that he takes. > It seems to have made the difference. Since this whole thing > started, I've never seen so many weeks in a row with no emergency > phone call for me to come and calm him down. > > We're counting every good day as a blessing. > > KD > > > > Welcome to LBDcaregivers. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 KD, It isn't funny, no, not really, but the way you put it makes me smile, and even laugh out loud. Thank heaven for our sense of humor, huh? You're a champ, no doubt about it; a wise old soul in a youthful package. By the way, in 2003, my mother had a **6-month** spell where she was nearly back to normal. I actually thought I was so horribly wrong, all along, about her and LBD...but I wasn't. There are people in the group who can back me up, here. I've never been terribly fond of surprises, and I positively hate nasty surprises. That's why I hate LBD. There's no time line at all. Today is great. Tomorrow is okay. Next day starts fine. A breath can change ******EVERYTHING******. From one word to the next. Or, 6 months can go by, in close-to perfect, seeming harmony. The other shoe always drops. If you can keep finding the humor, or in your case, " humour " <LOL>, you're way ahead of the game. Enjoy the plateaus. Picnic on them. Take champagne, even. Best, Deborah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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