A New Phase?

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone

I just wanted to get a little advise or maybe I just

need to hear friendly voice, so to speak.

My mom (83)has been changing as it would seem this

week. On Tuesday night she refused to eat dinner,

which she has done before. Then on Wed,Thurs and

today. She was drank very little and eaten very

little. She does not speak anything that is

intelligent at all. Only mumbling. For a few weeks now

she has not been able to understand me and I cannot

understand her. It is like two people from different

planets trying to communicate. She cried today for the

second time when we tried to give her a shower in the

shower. So I have decided to try the bed bath thing. I

have also decided to give up trying to take her to the

hairdresser once every other week. It is just too hard

and scary with one person to get her into a SUV all

alone. She is a small lady on 5'2 and about 100lbs. I

have tried to hold on to these things for far too long

now. I am going to try to give up taking her to the

toilet also. She can hardly take the walk from the

doorway to the toilet. I basically walk her. She has

not walked alone in 8 months. The only thing is I have

the wrong kind of diapers, so I will have to find time

to get out and get new ones. My caregiver has been on

vacation this week too. Today my mom did not wake up

until 12noon. She has slept most of the time since her

bath too. I sense a change and it is tough to deal

with. I have been waking up several nights this week

at 3:30-4:00am with a clammy feeling and feel like

my heart is racing. Is this anxiety? I just keep

feeling like she is failing now and somehow it is my

fault. I have tried and tried to get her to drink and

eat. I have put the straw in her mouth and she will

not suck on it. So I put the glass to her lips and she

push her lips together and the water or whatever pours

out the side of her mouth. She does not want to chew

anything so we are using soft foods too. She did eat

1/2 a banana earlier today. That was encouraging. I

know this is a roller coaster ride, but my nerves are

getting shot. Have your LO's snapped out of it before

and began eating and drinking again? I know Stevie has

had the " E ticket " of roller coaster rides with Mr.B.

I just do not know what to think. I am trying to be

calm, but I guess deep down I am a mess. Thanks for

listening.

Dena

__________________________________________________