Guest guest Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Hi to Everyone, My name is , I live in West Texas, only child, not married, no kids. My mom is 78 and my dad 82. After so long of not really knowing what was wrong with my mom, last Tuesday a neurologist told my dad and I that she has LBD. I had never heard of it. He told me to look on the internet which I have, but don't fully understand everything yet. My mom is in very bad condition. From what I can tell from the little reading I've had time to do she has had symptoms for at least four years. She has had TIA's and the doctor assumed all the sumptoms were from those. Then we started noticing Parkinsons symptoms and FINALLY he sent to a neurologist and that is what the diagnosis was. She already has the rigidity in her arms, legs, etc., her speech is slurred, she is shaking some, shuffling when she tries to walks, she has hallucinations of people here, she can't finish a sentence or a thought, doesn't sleep well at night, and gets very nervous in the evenings. It breaks my heart. She seems to be sleeping better, but can't tell much difference in other symptoms, of course its only been five days. At Christmas she wasn't well, but could communicate and get around, and then about 3 1/2 months ago everything changed for the worse. It was like someone turned a light switch on and everything went bad. There is only my dad and I to take care of her and we're both getting so tired. My dad had a heart attack in January and still has some blockage and I'm so worried about the stress on him and how he will get thru this. I don't really know what to do or how to help mother. I don't know if we can keep her here or she will have to go to a nursing home (I don't know if I can do that or not). I have so many questions and I feel like she is slipping thru our hands. It seems we're losing her a little at a time and that just breaks my heart. I sit and cry every night. It's hard..you have your mother, but you don't. In some ways she's gone, never to be here again. I miss her so much...watching movies, going shopping, just talking about everything...I am lucky my mom and dad are my best friends. I long to talk to my mom. I guess I cry so much because I miss her so much. She was such a vibrant, wonderful woman. So beautiful, had the prettiest smile. She never smiles now...just has this far away look in her eyes and like she doesn't understand what's going on. Can someone tell me how long a person lives with this disease. Because to me I just see her slipping away. Does this disease actually cause a persons death or complications from it. I don't know what to look for, I don't know how to deal with all this right now. Can someone tell me if it sounds to them like she is in the final stages of LBD?? I hate to even ask these questions, but I want to know, I have to try to be prepared and prepare my dad. How long does this last? I hope that question isn't wrong to ask. I just don't know what we're looking at. I read a womans journal about her mother, who is still alive, and I think my mother wouldn't want to live her life like that in this condition. Why does this rob them of every bit of dignity they have. The one thing my mom always told me because we had to take care of my aunt and grandmother was that she always hoped she would be able to take care of herself...now she can't...that breaks my heart that the one thing she wanted so badly she can't do. The doctor took her off some meds, said made symptoms worse and started her on on Trazadone for helping with sleep and Seroquel to help with the other. Does anyone know if this is good?? I hope to find some help and answers here and maybe just someone to talk to about this. Sorry this is so long, I'm just so depressed and guess I needed someone that knows and going thru the same thing to talk to. Thank you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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