Guest guest Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Hi Debbie, I, too, am new to the group but in a few short days have been given a wealth of information and support. Here in Canada there is absolutely nothing for those of us dealing with LBD. My 87 year old mum has this disease. She and my 92 year old dad live with me. It's good to have another 'newby' in the group. I'll bet we will be asking some of the some questions! - Kingston, Ontario Debs wrote: Hi Everyone I am new to the group and found you on an internet search last night. I live in the UK and I know that most of the members will be from the US so you'll have to excuse my spelling as it'll be different to yours! My name is Debbie and my Dad was recently diagnosed with LBD. It has taken a good 18 months to get the diagnosis but he has recently been put onto some tablets to help (hopefully). We thought for a while that he had Alzheimer's and it was only after reading some info on the Alzheimer's UK website that I realised that his symptoms were more like those in LBD. My Dad is 78 this month and is still very capable of doing most things but there are a few that he is now having some difficulty with. The worst thing are the hallucinations - he gets visual, auditory and oilfactory symptoms. He shuffles around a lot and has a slouch and also has a slight Parkinsonian tremor. I wanted to join the group to see what other people are going through and find out as much information as I can. There is very little in the UK other than the Alzheimer's Association so specific information is a bit limited. My Mum is the Primary Caregiver but I am the one who tries to get hold of any suitable information which I can then explain to my Mum and Dad (as appropriate). My Dad is actually coping very well with his diagnosis - he keeps telling everyone he is going loopy! Not quite the description Mum and I use! Anyway I hope to hear from you all soon and look forward to being part of the group. Best wishes Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 hi Debbie, I'm Kathleen and also from the U.K. - there are a few of us on here, I live in Scotland in a little town called Wemyss Bay on the West Coast. My dad had LBD but sadly passed away March 21st this year - just 10 weeks ago. Everything that you mention about your own dad is fairly typical. Everyone seems to progress through this disease differently but for my dad too the hallucinations were a big feature and the worst symptom for him. My dad was quite a paranoid person in GOOD health so when he got extreme Paranoia also with LBD it was a bit too much to handle sometimes. Between the Paranoia and hallucinations he had some very scary & frightening times. His hallucinations were always of a dangerous and persecutory nature and theme, he'd imagine danger all around him, would perceive danger in the simplest situations - i.e. people getting out of their cars in the car park at his apartment would be " coming to get him with weapons " and he'd frequently be up in the night looking for the " people who'd broken into the house " ....all nasty & frightening stuff, and when he was off on a hallucination or paranoia theme there was NO convincing him otherwise - he'd get quite cross if you tried. He also had a paranoia about money in every shape and form, worried about not having enough, having it stolen, worrying he hadn't been paid (despite being retired) and worrying if he'd have to pay for his meals in hospital and other such stuff. He had huge paranoia that his family were also in danger.....I have one sister Maureen, he adored us both and also my mum, he'd imagine people were threatening us, if we were out for the day and he heard loud voices or loud noise he'd imagine we were in danger and that people were " about to get us " - many a nice pleasant day out had to be ended because dad thought we had to run home now. But he was a wonderful, kind, loving husband and father and it waqs simply torture watching the disease attack him slowly and bring him down. He was first of all diagnosed with Vascular Dementia then one year later when the hallucinations became a real big feature the diagnosis was changed to lewy Body. Like you we found few people who'd heard of it, but we were VERY lucky to be under the care of a Consultant Physco-Geriatrician who HAD heard of it and was therefore quite up on the latest drugs etc. We had good successes with the drugs and no major problems, although they each have a saturation point which was eventually reached. My dad DID also have Vascular Dementia (mini strokes or trans ischemic attacks) and his behaviour would get very much more pronounced when going through one of these as well.....Lewy Body though was the predominant illness.....he later developed several Parkinsons symptoms as well although no visible tremor. However if your dad is still able to do most things he's obviously in the mild to moderate stages yet, and with the correct medications things could be kept at bay and controlled well for a while yet, we found certain medications to work very well for the hallucinations, not eliminating them completely but certainly controlling them a bit, I'll be glad to elaborate more on that if you need or want the information. For now welcome to the group, there are a lot of kind and giving people here who are going through the same thing and that aone can make you feel much less isolated. I only found this site about 8 weeks before my dad passed away but it's good to talk with people who know exactly what your talking about and know what your going through! Kathleen - Scotland. New Member Hi Everyone I am new to the group and found you on an internet search last night. I live in the UK and I know that most of the members will be from the US so you'll have to excuse my spelling as it'll be different to yours! My name is Debbie and my Dad was recently diagnosed with LBD. It has taken a good 18 months to get the diagnosis but he has recently been put onto some tablets to help (hopefully). We thought for a while that he had Alzheimer's and it was only after reading some info on the Alzheimer's UK website that I realised that his symptoms were more like those in LBD. My Dad is 78 this month and is still very capable of doing most things but there are a few that he is now having some difficulty with. The worst thing are the hallucinations - he gets visual, auditory and oilfactory symptoms. He shuffles around a lot and has a slouch and also has a slight Parkinsonian tremor. I wanted to join the group to see what other people are going through and find out as much information as I can. There is very little in the UK other than the Alzheimer's Association so specific information is a bit limited. My Mum is the Primary Caregiver but I am the one who tries to get hold of any suitable information which I can then explain to my Mum and Dad (as appropriate). My Dad is actually coping very well with his diagnosis - he keeps telling everyone he is going loopy! Not quite the description Mum and I use! Anyway I hope to hear from you all soon and look forward to being part of the group. Best wishes Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Thanks to Kathleen and - I feel welcome already! I think the thing about this condition is not knowing what to expect. There is so much information available about Alzheimer's that I was expecting that this was what my Dad would be diagnosed with. It is only through searching the internet that you become aware of other people going throught the same thing. Clearly my Dad is in the early stages of the illness but expect that everyone advances differently. It was actually me who suggested Lewy Body to the Psychiatrist, who agreed with me. My Dad has had terrible nightmares for a number of years and it was thought that atenalol was causing this (for blood pressure) so he is off this now but does wake during the night hearing things such as the burglar alarm going off, phone ringing and voices outside the bedroom. He also falls asleep so often during the daytime that you have to fit in conversations around this. I am also aware of vascular dementia - my Mum had a mini stroke last year so this is something else I worry about. It happened during the night amd also before my Dad's real confusion started so he dealt with this very well but I'm not so sure he would be quite so confident if it happened again. The Psychiatrist did mention that as Dad has LB he may also develop other forms of dementia. At the moment we are taking each day as it comes. He only started his medication a week ago so as yet we haven't seen any improvement in the hallucinations. His GP is also an alternative medicine practitioner and has prescribed something for his agitation as this can be quite disturbing and upsetting to see. He paces up and down the house but for no apparent reason so hopefully the medication will relax him a little. I fully trust the doctor's opinion on this as he's also a very respected lecturer at a local university for medicine so I know Dad's in safe hands. I have lived in West Yorkshire all my life, as have my parents, which is part of the biggest English county. I only have 1 brother but unfortunately he's a musical director on one of the cruise liners so he doesn't get home very often. Other than that it's just me and my husband who try and help Mum out as often as possible. I also work full-time though so my time is a bit stretched these days in one way and another. Regards Debbie Re: New Member hi Debbie, I'm Kathleen and also from the U.K. - there are a few of us on here, I live in Scotland in a little town called Wemyss Bay on the West Coast. My dad had LBD but sadly passed away March 21st this year - just 10 weeks ago. Everything that you mention about your own dad is fairly typical. Everyone seems to progress through this disease differently but for my dad too the hallucinations were a big feature and the worst symptom for him. My dad was quite a paranoid person in GOOD health so when he got extreme Paranoia also with LBD it was a bit too much to handle sometimes. Between the Paranoia and hallucinations he had some very scary & frightening times. His hallucinations were always of a dangerous and persecutory nature and theme, he'd imagine danger all around him, would perceive danger in the simplest situations - i.e. people getting out of their cars in the car park at his apartment would be " coming to get him with weapons " and he'd frequently be up in the night looking for the " people who'd broken into the house " ....all nasty & frightening stuff, and when he was off on a hallucination or paranoia theme there was NO convincing him otherwise - he'd get quite cross if you tried. He also had a paranoia about money in every shape and form, worried about not having enough, having it stolen, worrying he hadn't been paid (despite being retired) and worrying if he'd have to pay for his meals in hospital and other such stuff. He had huge paranoia that his family were also in danger.....I have one sister Maureen, he adored us both and also my mum, he'd imagine people were threatening us, if we were out for the day and he heard loud voices or loud noise he'd imagine we were in danger and that people were " about to get us " - many a nice pleasant day out had to be ended because dad thought we had to run home now. But he was a wonderful, kind, loving husband and father and it waqs simply torture watching the disease attack him slowly and bring him down. He was first of all diagnosed with Vascular Dementia then one year later when the hallucinations became a real big feature the diagnosis was changed to lewy Body. Like you we found few people who'd heard of it, but we were VERY lucky to be under the care of a Consultant Physco-Geriatrician who HAD heard of it and was therefore quite up on the latest drugs etc. We had good successes with the drugs and no major problems, although they each have a saturation point which was eventually reached. My dad DID also have Vascular Dementia (mini strokes or trans ischemic attacks) and his behaviour would get very much more pronounced when going through one of these as well.....Lewy Body though was the predominant illness.....he later developed several Parkinsons symptoms as well although no visible tremor. However if your dad is still able to do most things he's obviously in the mild to moderate stages yet, and with the correct medications things could be kept at bay and controlled well for a while yet, we found certain medications to work very well for the hallucinations, not eliminating them completely but certainly controlling them a bit, I'll be glad to elaborate more on that if you need or want the information. For now welcome to the group, there are a lot of kind and giving people here who are going through the same thing and that aone can make you feel much less isolated. I only found this site about 8 weeks before my dad passed away but it's good to talk with people who know exactly what your talking about and know what your going through! Kathleen - Scotland. New Member Hi Everyone I am new to the group and found you on an internet search last night. I live in the UK and I know that most of the members will be from the US so you'll have to excuse my spelling as it'll be different to yours! My name is Debbie and my Dad was recently diagnosed with LBD. It has taken a good 18 months to get the diagnosis but he has recently been put onto some tablets to help (hopefully). We thought for a while that he had Alzheimer's and it was only after reading some info on the Alzheimer's UK website that I realised that his symptoms were more like those in LBD. My Dad is 78 this month and is still very capable of doing most things but there are a few that he is now having some difficulty with. The worst thing are the hallucinations - he gets visual, auditory and oilfactory symptoms. He shuffles around a lot and has a slouch and also has a slight Parkinsonian tremor. I wanted to join the group to see what other people are going through and find out as much information as I can. There is very little in the UK other than the Alzheimer's Association so specific information is a bit limited. My Mum is the Primary Caregiver but I am the one who tries to get hold of any suitable information which I can then explain to my Mum and Dad (as appropriate). My Dad is actually coping very well with his diagnosis - he keeps telling everyone he is going loopy! Not quite the description Mum and I use! Anyway I hope to hear from you all soon and look forward to being part of the group. Best wishes Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Debbie, Mum hears bees/wasps in her closet. Last time she decided to spray with bug killer. Soaked the closet and clothes. It did not help.She called me in for back-up. No wonder it did not work - she had used cooking spray! What a mess. I laughed. Chose that over crying. Mum is on Adalat for high blood pressure - not causing any problems. Hang in there! Debs wrote: Thanks to Kathleen and - I feel welcome already! I think the thing about this condition is not knowing what to expect. There is so much information available about Alzheimer's that I was expecting that this was what my Dad would be diagnosed with. It is only through searching the internet that you become aware of other people going throught the same thing. Clearly my Dad is in the early stages of the illness but expect that everyone advances differently. It was actually me who suggested Lewy Body to the Psychiatrist, who agreed with me. My Dad has had terrible nightmares for a number of years and it was thought that atenalol was causing this (for blood pressure) so he is off this now but does wake during the night hearing things such as the burglar alarm going off, phone ringing and voices outside the bedroom. He also falls asleep so often during the daytime that you have to fit in conversations around this. I am also aware of vascular dementia - my Mum had a mini stroke last year so this is something else I worry about. It happened during the night amd also before my Dad's real confusion started so he dealt with this very well but I'm not so sure he would be quite so confident if it happened again. The Psychiatrist did mention that as Dad has LB he may also develop other forms of dementia. At the moment we are taking each day as it comes. He only started his medication a week ago so as yet we haven't seen any improvement in the hallucinations. His GP is also an alternative medicine practitioner and has prescribed something for his agitation as this can be quite disturbing and upsetting to see. He paces up and down the house but for no apparent reason so hopefully the medication will relax him a little. I fully trust the doctor's opinion on this as he's also a very respected lecturer at a local university for medicine so I know Dad's in safe hands. I have lived in West Yorkshire all my life, as have my parents, which is part of the biggest English county. I only have 1 brother but unfortunately he's a musical director on one of the cruise liners so he doesn't get home very often. Other than that it's just me and my husband who try and help Mum out as often as possible. I also work full-time though so my time is a bit stretched these days in one way and another. Regards Debbie Re: New Member hi Debbie, I'm Kathleen and also from the U.K. - there are a few of us on here, I live in Scotland in a little town called Wemyss Bay on the West Coast. My dad had LBD but sadly passed away March 21st this year - just 10 weeks ago. Everything that you mention about your own dad is fairly typical. Everyone seems to progress through this disease differently but for my dad too the hallucinations were a big feature and the worst symptom for him. My dad was quite a paranoid person in GOOD health so when he got extreme Paranoia also with LBD it was a bit too much to handle sometimes. Between the Paranoia and hallucinations he had some very scary & frightening times. His hallucinations were always of a dangerous and persecutory nature and theme, he'd imagine danger all around him, would perceive danger in the simplest situations - i.e. people getting out of their cars in the car park at his apartment would be " coming to get him with weapons " and he'd frequently be up in the night looking for the " people who'd broken into the house " ....all nasty & frightening stuff, and when he was off on a hallucination or paranoia theme there was NO convincing him otherwise - he'd get quite cross if you tried. He also had a paranoia about money in every shape and form, worried about not having enough, having it stolen, worrying he hadn't been paid (despite being retired) and worrying if he'd have to pay for his meals in hospital and other such stuff. He had huge paranoia that his family were also in danger.....I have one sister Maureen, he adored us both and also my mum, he'd imagine people were threatening us, if we were out for the day and he heard loud voices or loud noise he'd imagine we were in danger and that people were " about to get us " - many a nice pleasant day out had to be ended because dad thought we had to run home now. But he was a wonderful, kind, loving husband and father and it waqs simply torture watching the disease attack him slowly and bring him down. He was first of all diagnosed with Vascular Dementia then one year later when the hallucinations became a real big feature the diagnosis was changed to lewy Body. Like you we found few people who'd heard of it, but we were VERY lucky to be under the care of a Consultant Physco-Geriatrician who HAD heard of it and was therefore quite up on the latest drugs etc. We had good successes with the drugs and no major problems, although they each have a saturation point which was eventually reached. My dad DID also have Vascular Dementia (mini strokes or trans ischemic attacks) and his behaviour would get very much more pronounced when going through one of these as well.....Lewy Body though was the predominant illness.....he later developed several Parkinsons symptoms as well although no visible tremor. However if your dad is still able to do most things he's obviously in the mild to moderate stages yet, and with the correct medications things could be kept at bay and controlled well for a while yet, we found certain medications to work very well for the hallucinations, not eliminating them completely but certainly controlling them a bit, I'll be glad to elaborate more on that if you need or want the information. For now welcome to the group, there are a lot of kind and giving people here who are going through the same thing and that aone can make you feel much less isolated. I only found this site about 8 weeks before my dad passed away but it's good to talk with people who know exactly what your talking about and know what your going through! Kathleen - Scotland. New Member Hi Everyone I am new to the group and found you on an internet search last night. I live in the UK and I know that most of the members will be from the US so you'll have to excuse my spelling as it'll be different to yours! My name is Debbie and my Dad was recently diagnosed with LBD. It has taken a good 18 months to get the diagnosis but he has recently been put onto some tablets to help (hopefully). We thought for a while that he had Alzheimer's and it was only after reading some info on the Alzheimer's UK website that I realised that his symptoms were more like those in LBD. My Dad is 78 this month and is still very capable of doing most things but there are a few that he is now having some difficulty with. The worst thing are the hallucinations - he gets visual, auditory and oilfactory symptoms. He shuffles around a lot and has a slouch and also has a slight Parkinsonian tremor. I wanted to join the group to see what other people are going through and find out as much information as I can. There is very little in the UK other than the Alzheimer's Association so specific information is a bit limited. My Mum is the Primary Caregiver but I am the one who tries to get hold of any suitable information which I can then explain to my Mum and Dad (as appropriate). My Dad is actually coping very well with his diagnosis - he keeps telling everyone he is going loopy! Not quite the description Mum and I use! Anyway I hope to hear from you all soon and look forward to being part of the group. Best wishes Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2005 Report Share Posted June 6, 2005 Hey -- Maybe you can make up a bottle of special bee killer. My friend made a bottle of Monster Spray for her son to use before bed. I think she put lavendar oil in it so it smelled pretty, too! Lori > Thanks to Kathleen and - I feel welcome already! I think the > thing about this condition is not knowing what to expect. There is so > much information available about Alzheimer's that I was expecting that > this was what my Dad would be diagnosed with. It is only through > searching the internet that you become aware of other people going > throught the same thing. > > > > Clearly my Dad is in the early stages of the illness but expect that > everyone advances differently. It was actually me who suggested Lewy > Body to the Psychiatrist, who agreed with me. My Dad has had terrible > nightmares for a number of years and it was thought that atenalol was > causing this (for blood pressure) so he is off this now but does wake > during the night hearing things such as the burglar alarm going off, > phone ringing and voices outside the bedroom. He also falls asleep so > often during the daytime that you have to fit in conversations around > this. > > > > I am also aware of vascular dementia - my Mum had a mini stroke last > year so this is something else I worry about. It happened during the > night amd also before my Dad's real confusion started so he dealt with > this very well but I'm not so sure he would be quite so confident if it > happened again. > > > > The Psychiatrist did mention that as Dad has LB he may also develop > other forms of dementia. At the moment we are taking each day as it > comes. He only started his medication a week ago so as yet we haven't > seen any improvement in the hallucinations. His GP is also an > alternative medicine practitioner and has prescribed something for his > agitation as this can be quite disturbing and upsetting to see. He > paces up and down the house but for no apparent reason so hopefully the > medication will relax him a little. I fully trust the doctor's opinion > on this as he's also a very respected lecturer at a local university for > medicine so I know Dad's in safe hands. > > > > I have lived in West Yorkshire all my life, as have my parents, which is > part of the biggest English county. I only have 1 brother but > unfortunately he's a musical director on one of the cruise liners so he > doesn't get home very often. Other than that it's just me and my > husband who try and help Mum out as often as possible. I also work > full-time though so my time is a bit stretched these days in one way and > another. > > > > Regards > > Debbie > > > > Re: New Member > > > > hi Debbie, > > I'm Kathleen and also from the U.K. - there are a few of us on here, I > live in Scotland in a little town called Wemyss Bay on the West Coast. > > My dad had LBD but sadly passed away March 21st this year - just 10 > weeks ago. Everything that you mention about your own dad is fairly > typical. Everyone seems to progress through this disease differently > but for my dad too the hallucinations were a big feature and the worst > symptom for him. > > My dad was quite a paranoid person in GOOD health so when he got extreme > Paranoia also with LBD it was a bit too much to handle sometimes. > Between the Paranoia and hallucinations he had some very scary & > frightening times. His hallucinations were always of a dangerous and > persecutory nature and theme, he'd imagine danger all around him, would > perceive danger in the simplest situations - i.e. people getting out of > their cars in the car park at his apartment would be " coming to get him > with weapons " and he'd frequently be up in the night looking for the > " people who'd broken into the house " ....all nasty & frightening stuff, > and when he was off on a hallucination or paranoia theme there was NO > convincing him otherwise - he'd get quite cross if you tried. > > He also had a paranoia about money in every shape and form, worried > about not having enough, having it stolen, worrying he hadn't been paid > (despite being retired) and worrying if he'd have to pay for his meals > in hospital and other such stuff. > > He had huge paranoia that his family were also in danger.....I have one > sister Maureen, he adored us both and also my mum, he'd imagine people > were threatening us, if we were out for the day and he heard loud voices > or loud noise he'd imagine we were in danger and that people were " about > to get us " - many a nice pleasant day out had to be ended because dad > thought we had to run home now. > > But he was a wonderful, kind, loving husband and father and it waqs > simply torture watching the disease attack him slowly and bring him > down. He was first of all diagnosed with Vascular Dementia then one > year later when the hallucinations became a real big feature the > diagnosis was changed to lewy Body. Like you we found few people who'd > heard of it, but we were VERY lucky to be under the care of a Consultant > Physco-Geriatrician who HAD heard of it and was therefore quite up on > the latest drugs etc. We had good successes with the drugs and no major > problems, although they each have a saturation point which was > eventually reached. > > My dad DID also have Vascular Dementia (mini strokes or trans ischemic > attacks) and his behaviour would get very much more pronounced when > going through one of these as well.....Lewy Body though was the > predominant illness.....he later developed several Parkinsons symptoms > as well although no visible tremor. > > However if your dad is still able to do most things he's obviously in > the mild to moderate stages yet, and with the correct medications things > could be kept at bay and controlled well for a while yet, we found > certain medications to work very well for the hallucinations, not > eliminating them completely but certainly controlling them a bit, I'll > be glad to elaborate more on that if you need or want the information. > > For now welcome to the group, there are a lot of kind and giving people > here who are going through the same thing and that aone can make you > feel much less isolated. I only found this site about 8 weeks before my > dad passed away but it's good to talk with people who know exactly what > your talking about and know what your going through! > > Kathleen - Scotland. > New Member > > > Hi Everyone > > > > I am new to the group and found you on an internet search last night. > I > live in the UK and I know that most of the members will be from the US > so you'll have to excuse my spelling as it'll be different to yours! > > > > My name is Debbie and my Dad was recently diagnosed with LBD. It has > taken a good 18 months to get the diagnosis but he has recently been > put > onto some tablets to help (hopefully). We thought for a while that he > had Alzheimer's and it was only after reading some info on the > Alzheimer's UK website that I realised that his symptoms were more > like > those in LBD. > > > > My Dad is 78 this month and is still very capable of doing most things > but there are a few that he is now having some difficulty with. The > worst thing are the hallucinations - he gets visual, auditory and > oilfactory symptoms. He shuffles around a lot and has a slouch and > also > has a slight Parkinsonian tremor. > > > > I wanted to join the group to see what other people are going through > and find out as much information as I can. There is very little in > the > UK other than the Alzheimer's Association so specific information is a > bit limited. My Mum is the Primary Caregiver but I am the one who > tries > to get hold of any suitable information which I can then explain to my > Mum and Dad (as appropriate). My Dad is actually coping very well > with > his diagnosis - he keeps telling everyone he is going loopy! Not > quite > the description Mum and I use! > > > > Anyway I hope to hear from you all soon and look forward to being part > of the group. > > > > Best wishes > > Debbie > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Lori, Great idea! Love the concept. Thanks for the suggestion. Will cook up a batch ASAP. ladpr6 wrote: Hey -- Maybe you can make up a bottle of special bee killer. My friend made a bottle of Monster Spray for her son to use before bed. I think she put lavendar oil in it so it smelled pretty, too! Lori > Thanks to Kathleen and - I feel welcome already! I think the > thing about this condition is not knowing what to expect. There is so > much information available about Alzheimer's that I was expecting that > this was what my Dad would be diagnosed with. It is only through > searching the internet that you become aware of other people going > throught the same thing. > > > > Clearly my Dad is in the early stages of the illness but expect that > everyone advances differently. It was actually me who suggested Lewy > Body to the Psychiatrist, who agreed with me. My Dad has had terrible > nightmares for a number of years and it was thought that atenalol was > causing this (for blood pressure) so he is off this now but does wake > during the night hearing things such as the burglar alarm going off, > phone ringing and voices outside the bedroom. He also falls asleep so > often during the daytime that you have to fit in conversations around > this. > > > > I am also aware of vascular dementia - my Mum had a mini stroke last > year so this is something else I worry about. It happened during the > night amd also before my Dad's real confusion started so he dealt with > this very well but I'm not so sure he would be quite so confident if it > happened again. > > > > The Psychiatrist did mention that as Dad has LB he may also develop > other forms of dementia. At the moment we are taking each day as it > comes. He only started his medication a week ago so as yet we haven't > seen any improvement in the hallucinations. His GP is also an > alternative medicine practitioner and has prescribed something for his > agitation as this can be quite disturbing and upsetting to see. He > paces up and down the house but for no apparent reason so hopefully the > medication will relax him a little. I fully trust the doctor's opinion > on this as he's also a very respected lecturer at a local university for > medicine so I know Dad's in safe hands. > > > > I have lived in West Yorkshire all my life, as have my parents, which is > part of the biggest English county. I only have 1 brother but > unfortunately he's a musical director on one of the cruise liners so he > doesn't get home very often. Other than that it's just me and my > husband who try and help Mum out as often as possible. I also work > full-time though so my time is a bit stretched these days in one way and > another. > > > > Regards > > Debbie > > > > Re: New Member > > > > hi Debbie, > > I'm Kathleen and also from the U.K. - there are a few of us on here, I > live in Scotland in a little town called Wemyss Bay on the West Coast. > > My dad had LBD but sadly passed away March 21st this year - just 10 > weeks ago. Everything that you mention about your own dad is fairly > typical. Everyone seems to progress through this disease differently > but for my dad too the hallucinations were a big feature and the worst > symptom for him. > > My dad was quite a paranoid person in GOOD health so when he got extreme > Paranoia also with LBD it was a bit too much to handle sometimes. > Between the Paranoia and hallucinations he had some very scary & > frightening times. His hallucinations were always of a dangerous and > persecutory nature and theme, he'd imagine danger all around him, would > perceive danger in the simplest situations - i.e. people getting out of > their cars in the car park at his apartment would be " coming to get him > with weapons " and he'd frequently be up in the night looking for the > " people who'd broken into the house " ....all nasty & frightening stuff, > and when he was off on a hallucination or paranoia theme there was NO > convincing him otherwise - he'd get quite cross if you tried. > > He also had a paranoia about money in every shape and form, worried > about not having enough, having it stolen, worrying he hadn't been paid > (despite being retired) and worrying if he'd have to pay for his meals > in hospital and other such stuff. > > He had huge paranoia that his family were also in danger.....I have one > sister Maureen, he adored us both and also my mum, he'd imagine people > were threatening us, if we were out for the day and he heard loud voices > or loud noise he'd imagine we were in danger and that people were " about > to get us " - many a nice pleasant day out had to be ended because dad > thought we had to run home now. > > But he was a wonderful, kind, loving husband and father and it waqs > simply torture watching the disease attack him slowly and bring him > down. He was first of all diagnosed with Vascular Dementia then one > year later when the hallucinations became a real big feature the > diagnosis was changed to lewy Body. Like you we found few people who'd > heard of it, but we were VERY lucky to be under the care of a Consultant > Physco-Geriatrician who HAD heard of it and was therefore quite up on > the latest drugs etc. We had good successes with the drugs and no major > problems, although they each have a saturation point which was > eventually reached. > > My dad DID also have Vascular Dementia (mini strokes or trans ischemic > attacks) and his behaviour would get very much more pronounced when > going through one of these as well.....Lewy Body though was the > predominant illness.....he later developed several Parkinsons symptoms > as well although no visible tremor. > > However if your dad is still able to do most things he's obviously in > the mild to moderate stages yet, and with the correct medications things > could be kept at bay and controlled well for a while yet, we found > certain medications to work very well for the hallucinations, not > eliminating them completely but certainly controlling them a bit, I'll > be glad to elaborate more on that if you need or want the information. > > For now welcome to the group, there are a lot of kind and giving people > here who are going through the same thing and that aone can make you > feel much less isolated. I only found this site about 8 weeks before my > dad passed away but it's good to talk with people who know exactly what > your talking about and know what your going through! > > Kathleen - Scotland. > New Member > > > Hi Everyone > > > > I am new to the group and found you on an internet search last night. > I > live in the UK and I know that most of the members will be from the US > so you'll have to excuse my spelling as it'll be different to yours! > > > > My name is Debbie and my Dad was recently diagnosed with LBD. It has > taken a good 18 months to get the diagnosis but he has recently been > put > onto some tablets to help (hopefully). We thought for a while that he > had Alzheimer's and it was only after reading some info on the > Alzheimer's UK website that I realised that his symptoms were more > like > those in LBD. > > > > My Dad is 78 this month and is still very capable of doing most things > but there are a few that he is now having some difficulty with. The > worst thing are the hallucinations - he gets visual, auditory and > oilfactory symptoms. He shuffles around a lot and has a slouch and > also > has a slight Parkinsonian tremor. > > > > I wanted to join the group to see what other people are going through > and find out as much information as I can. There is very little in > the > UK other than the Alzheimer's Association so specific information is a > bit limited. My Mum is the Primary Caregiver but I am the one who > tries > to get hold of any suitable information which I can then explain to my > Mum and Dad (as appropriate). My Dad is actually coping very well > with > his diagnosis - he keeps telling everyone he is going loopy! Not > quite > the description Mum and I use! > > > > Anyway I hope to hear from you all soon and look forward to being part > of the group. > > > > Best wishes > > Debbie > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Hello to All -- I am a Garrido, a nurse practitioner from Washington State. I was planning to join the group during one of the other discussions, but thought it only polite to introduce myself. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Larry Lyons last year who gave me lots of free advice, which made the medical equipment I bought from him a total bargain! His words of encouragement and caution ring in my ears to this day... I am from a smaller town in Idaho and joined the Navy to pay for nursing school after I changed directions. I started off wanting to become a lawyer, as did every debate nerd in the 1980s, and half way through school, I switched and wanted to try medicine. My parents and I could not afford that drastic of a change, so I chose nursing. After my Navy days, I wanted to become a nurse pracitioner and practice in a small town because that is how I grew up. Then I fell in love with a Seattle local and stayed urban with the compromise being that we live on a mountain in the Cascade foothills... there is 2 " of snow outside today... I practiced for 10 years with my partners - 1 pediatrician and 2 family practitioners, who truly taught me more than my ARNP program. The saying around the clinic, when I would bring a really interesting case to them, was " That's 4th year [resident] stuff " and I never felt like that meant I was not an equal, but like I was learning the good stuff, the stuff I needed to know so I did not make a mistake or hurt a patient. It made me feel like a colleague, in fact... I worked very hard and was compensated equally for my work, which really made me feel great, and then, well, you all know the old story. Hired 2 more doctors because we were too busy, which meant more space staff, computers, phones, etc. We were wildly successful and could not take a vacation without putting undue burden on the other providers, but hiring more made it worse. Also, they believed that closing the clinic to new patients and walk ins would mean financial ruin because patients would be unhappy. I had to walk away - my partners thought I was crazy -- I knew that I needed to for my sanity, and so I could watch my kids grow up. So many of my patients walked across the street with me to a 100 year old miner's cottage. I took too many patients -- about 800 -- but most are 40 year old women like myself and don't come in much. When they first come to the clinic, I say " welcome to my midlife crisis! " and they get it. Anyway hope to contribute and meet everyone in Seattle in August. I feel like I know many of you already... a Garrido Village Family Clinic & Wellness Center www.villagefamilyclinic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 welcome!Jean Hello to All -- I am a Garrido, a nurse practitioner from Washington State. I was planning to join the group during one of the other discussions, but thought it only polite to introduce myself. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Larry Lyons last year who gave me lots of free advice, which made the medical equipment I bought from him a total bargain! His words of encouragement and caution ring in my ears to this day... I am from a smaller town in Idaho and joined the Navy to pay for nursing school after I changed directions. I started off wanting to become a lawyer, as did every debate nerd in the 1980s, and half way through school, I switched and wanted to try medicine. My parents and I could not afford that drastic of a change, so I chose nursing. After my Navy days, I wanted to become a nurse pracitioner and practice in a small town because that is how I grew up. Then I fell in love with a Seattle local and stayed urban with the compromise being that we live on a mountain in the Cascade foothills... there is 2 " of snow outside today... I practiced for 10 years with my partners - 1 pediatrician and 2 family practitioners, who truly taught me more than my ARNP program. The saying around the clinic, when I would bring a really interesting case to them, was " That's 4th year [resident] stuff " and I never felt like that meant I was not an equal, but like I was learning the good stuff, the stuff I needed to know so I did not make a mistake or hurt a patient. It made me feel like a colleague, in fact... I worked very hard and was compensated equally for my work, which really made me feel great, and then, well, you all know the old story. Hired 2 more doctors because we were too busy, which meant more space staff, computers, phones, etc. We were wildly successful and could not take a vacation without putting undue burden on the other providers, but hiring more made it worse. Also, they believed that closing the clinic to new patients and walk ins would mean financial ruin because patients would be unhappy. I had to walk away - my partners thought I was crazy -- I knew that I needed to for my sanity, and so I could watch my kids grow up. So many of my patients walked across the street with me to a 100 year old miner's cottage. I took too many patients -- about 800 -- but most are 40 year old women like myself and don't come in much. When they first come to the clinic, I say " welcome to my midlife crisis! " and they get it. Anyway hope to contribute and meet everyone in Seattle in August. I feel like I know many of you already... a Garrido Village Family Clinic & Wellness Center www.villagefamilyclinic.com -- If you are a patient please allow up to 24 hours for a reply by  email/please note the new email address.Remember  that e-mail may not be entirely secure/   MD     ph  fax impcenter.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Welcome. Subject: New memberTo: Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 9:03 AM Hello to All --I am a Garrido, a nurse practitioner from Washington State. I was planning to join the group during one of the other discussions, but thought it only polite to introduce myself. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Larry Lyons last year who gave me lots of free advice, which made the medical equipment I bought from him a total bargain! His words of encouragement and caution ring in my ears to this day...I am from a smaller town in Idaho and joined the Navy to pay for nursing school after I changed directions. I started off wanting to become a lawyer, as did every debate nerd in the 1980s, and half way through school, I switched and wanted to try medicine. My parents and I could not afford that drastic of a change, so I chose nursing. After my Navy days, I wanted to become a nurse pracitioner and practice in a small town because that is how I grew up. Then I fell in love with a Seattle local and stayed urban with the compromise being that we live on a mountain in the Cascade foothills... there is 2" of snow outside today... I practiced for 10 years with my partners - 1 pediatrician and 2 family practitioners, who truly taught me more than my ARNP program. The saying around the clinic, when I would bring a really interesting case to them, was "That's 4th year [resident] stuff" and I never felt like that meant I was not an equal, but like I was learning the good stuff, the stuff I needed to know so I did not make a mistake or hurt a patient. It made me feel like a colleague, in fact...I worked very hard and was compensated equally for my work, which really made me feel great, and then, well, you all know the old story. Hired 2 more doctors because we were too busy, which meant more space staff, computers, phones, etc. We were wildly successful and could not take a vacation without putting undue burden on the other providers, but hiring more made it worse. Also, they believed that closing the clinic to new patients and walk ins would mean financial ruin because patients would be unhappy. I had to walk away - my partners thought I was crazy -- I knew that I needed to for my sanity, and so I could watch my kids grow up.So many of my patients walked across the street with me to a 100 year old miner's cottage. I took too many patients -- about 800 -- but most are 40 year old women like myself and don't come in much. When they first come to the clinic, I say "welcome to my midlife crisis!" and they get it.Anyway hope to contribute and meet everyone in Seattle in August. I feel like I know many of you already...a GarridoVillage Family Clinic & Wellness Centerwww.villagefamilycl inic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Loved your website, and when we lived on the Eastside, Gilman Village was always a favorite spot! -- T. Ellsworth, MD 9377 E. Bell Road, Suite 175 sdale, AZ 85260 ---- wrote: > welcome! > Jean > > On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:03 AM, garridofamily wrote: > > > Hello to All -- > > > > I am a Garrido, a nurse practitioner from Washington State. I was > > planning to join the group during one of the other discussions, but thought > > it only polite to introduce myself. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Larry Lyons > > last year who gave me lots of free advice, which made the medical equipment > > I bought from him a total bargain! His words of encouragement and caution > > ring in my ears to this day... > > > > I am from a smaller town in Idaho and joined the Navy to pay for nursing > > school after I changed directions. I started off wanting to become a lawyer, > > as did every debate nerd in the 1980s, and half way through school, I > > switched and wanted to try medicine. My parents and I could not afford that > > drastic of a change, so I chose nursing. After my Navy days, I wanted to > > become a nurse pracitioner and practice in a small town because that is how > > I grew up. Then I fell in love with a Seattle local and stayed urban with > > the compromise being that we live on a mountain in the Cascade foothills... > > there is 2 " of snow outside today... > > > > I practiced for 10 years with my partners - 1 pediatrician and 2 family > > practitioners, who truly taught me more than my ARNP program. The saying > > around the clinic, when I would bring a really interesting case to them, was > > " That's 4th year [resident] stuff " and I never felt like that meant I was > > not an equal, but like I was learning the good stuff, the stuff I needed to > > know so I did not make a mistake or hurt a patient. It made me feel like a > > colleague, in fact... > > > > I worked very hard and was compensated equally for my work, which really > > made me feel great, and then, well, you all know the old story. Hired 2 more > > doctors because we were too busy, which meant more space staff, computers, > > phones, etc. We were wildly successful and could not take a vacation without > > putting undue burden on the other providers, but hiring more made it worse. > > Also, they believed that closing the clinic to new patients and walk ins > > would mean financial ruin because patients would be unhappy. I had to walk > > away - my partners thought I was crazy -- I knew that I needed to for my > > sanity, and so I could watch my kids grow up. > > > > So many of my patients walked across the street with me to a 100 year old > > miner's cottage. I took too many patients -- about 800 -- but most are 40 > > year old women like myself and don't come in much. When they first come to > > the clinic, I say " welcome to my midlife crisis! " and they get it. > > > > Anyway hope to contribute and meet everyone in Seattle in August. I feel > > like I know many of you already... > > > > a Garrido > > Village Family Clinic & Wellness Center > > www.villagefamilyclinic.com > > > > > > > > > > -- > If you are a patient please allow up to 24 hours for a reply by email/ > please note the new email address. > Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/ > MD > > > ph fax > impcenter.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 welcome, a! I like the midlife crisis line, if I may I am gonna steal it... To: Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 10:03:38 AMSubject: New member Hello to All --I am a Garrido, a nurse practitioner from Washington State. I was planning to join the group during one of the other discussions, but thought it only polite to introduce myself. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Larry Lyons last year who gave me lots of free advice, which made the medical equipment I bought from him a total bargain! His words of encouragement and caution ring in my ears to this day...I am from a smaller town in Idaho and joined the Navy to pay for nursing school after I changed directions. I started off wanting to become a lawyer, as did every debate nerd in the 1980s, and half way through school, I switched and wanted to try medicine. My parents and I could not afford that drastic of a change, so I chose nursing. After my Navy days, I wanted to become a nurse pracitioner and practice in a small town because that is how I grew up. Then I fell in love with a Seattle local and stayed urban with the compromise being that we live on a mountain in the Cascade foothills... there is 2" of snow outside today... I practiced for 10 years with my partners - 1 pediatrician and 2 family practitioners, who truly taught me more than my ARNP program. The saying around the clinic, when I would bring a really interesting case to them, was "That's 4th year [resident] stuff" and I never felt like that meant I was not an equal, but like I was learning the good stuff, the stuff I needed to know so I did not make a mistake or hurt a patient. It made me feel like a colleague, in fact...I worked very hard and was compensated equally for my work, which really made me feel great, and then, well, you all know the old story. Hired 2 more doctors because we were too busy, which meant more space staff, computers, phones, etc. We were wildly successful and could not take a vacation without putting undue burden on the other providers, but hiring more made it worse. Also, they believed that closing the clinic to new patients and walk ins would mean financial ruin because patients would be unhappy. I had to walk away - my partners thought I was crazy -- I knew that I needed to for my sanity, and so I could watch my kids grow up.So many of my patients walked across the street with me to a 100 year old miner's cottage. I took too many patients -- about 800 -- but most are 40 year old women like myself and don't come in much. When they first come to the clinic, I say "welcome to my midlife crisis!" and they get it.Anyway hope to contribute and meet everyone in Seattle in August. I feel like I know many of you already...a GarridoVillage Family Clinic & Wellness Centerwww.villagefamilycl inic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Welcome - your website is very sweet. Thank you for telling your story. I think the part about nursing school being a less expensive route than medical school is a good point.I did not even consider going to medical school until I was nearly finished with my undergraduate degree. Medicine never occurred to me when I was younger. I did not grow up with family members or friends who were physicians, or even nurses for that matter. I certainly had no women physician role models. I recall a discussion when I was in high school with an aunt about what I wanted to be when I grew up, and she suggested becoming a doctor. I don't remember exactly what my response was, but I do recall thinking that I was not capable, it was too hard, and no way did I want to do that. After a somewhat circuitous college route, I ended up working to just finish with a degree. Biology was the quickest path, as I that was what I had the most classes in. I was in classes with all these premed students. A bell went off in my head that if all those folks felt they could become doctors, why couldn't I? I took the MCATs, did pretty well, applied to med schools and got into a state university, and the rest is history. Nowadays when most graduates of medical schools are women, it is easy to ask why would a smart, capable woman not want to be a physician, but it was not an obvious choice for me. Had I not gotten into a state university (a fraction of the cost of a private university), I very well could have ended up an NP, though I think I might have gone into a different field altogether. Take care,LonnaSubject: New memberTo: Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 7:03 AM Hello to All -- I am a Garrido, a nurse practitioner from Washington State. I was planning to join the group during one of the other discussions, but thought it only polite to introduce myself. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Larry Lyons last year who gave me lots of free advice, which made the medical equipment I bought from him a total bargain! His words of encouragement and caution ring in my ears to this day... I am from a smaller town in Idaho and joined the Navy to pay for nursing school after I changed directions. I started off wanting to become a lawyer, as did every debate nerd in the 1980s, and half way through school, I switched and wanted to try medicine. My parents and I could not afford that drastic of a change, so I chose nursing. After my Navy days, I wanted to become a nurse pracitioner and practice in a small town because that is how I grew up. Then I fell in love with a Seattle local and stayed urban with the compromise being that we live on a mountain in the Cascade foothills... there is 2" of snow outside today... I practiced for 10 years with my partners - 1 pediatrician and 2 family practitioners, who truly taught me more than my ARNP program. The saying around the clinic, when I would bring a really interesting case to them, was "That's 4th year [resident] stuff" and I never felt like that meant I was not an equal, but like I was learning the good stuff, the stuff I needed to know so I did not make a mistake or hurt a patient. It made me feel like a colleague, in fact... I worked very hard and was compensated equally for my work, which really made me feel great, and then, well, you all know the old story. Hired 2 more doctors because we were too busy, which meant more space staff, computers, phones, etc. We were wildly successful and could not take a vacation without putting undue burden on the other providers, but hiring more made it worse. Also, they believed that closing the clinic to new patients and walk ins would mean financial ruin because patients would be unhappy. I had to walk away - my partners thought I was crazy -- I knew that I needed to for my sanity, and so I could watch my kids grow up. So many of my patients walked across the street with me to a 100 year old miner's cottage. I took too many patients -- about 800 -- but most are 40 year old women like myself and don't come in much. When they first come to the clinic, I say "welcome to my midlife crisis!" and they get it. Anyway hope to contribute and meet everyone in Seattle in August. I feel like I know many of you already... a Garrido Village Family Clinic & Wellness Center www.villagefamilycl inic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 Welcome! I opened my IMP on my 42nd birthday HGG fans will like this The answer to life, the universe and everything. Explanation of quote HGG son's developmental stages would imply that we are at the proper age to be doing this also.Review of son's stages of Development -- Lynette I Iles MD 301 South Iowa Ste 2Washington IA 52353 Flexible Family Care 'Modern medicine the old-fashioned way' This e-mail and attachments may contain information which is confidential and is only for the named addressee.  If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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