Communication with LBD

[Guest guest]

This is probably a silly question, but has anyone here learned to

communicate (you know....when one person talks and the other

one listens, taking it all in, thinks, and then responds......:-)

with their LO's???

This is an ongoing problem here and is frustrating both of us, at

times. (Occasionally, we can laugh about it.)

Last night I had a long conversation with another caregiver

who was telling me how angry she was that their friends

had abandoned her LO. Jack asked me about it and so I told

him.

He listened to the whole story and then said, " You take your

chooses and you get your pills. " He could not explain what

he meant.

This is becoming common-place in our house now.

OR, am I going crazy and that really means something?!

I realize I probably need to lower my expectations of Jack, but

I am having trouble keeping up with the pace at which he is

deteriorating. Every day seems to be worse.

Mai-Liis

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2002-06-07 10:33:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

MaiLiis@... writes:

> His illness appears to be going faster than what I can keep up with and

> learn to live with.

>

MaiLiis,

Same fears here, today he has admitted he is having a problem swallowing his

saliva. Food is okay, liquids are okay too. Very scary. We started with PD so

can't help you there....You know there is nothing usual about this disease.

Ev

[Guest guest]

Lula

Very well put. So very true with the " waiting " thought. I have told

the staff MANY times to give my dad a break if he is noncompliant.

Approach him a little later and he will probably be willing to do what

they are asking. Also, consistency, consistency, consistency. This

just totally irritates me. The nh puts any Jane Doe available back in

the Alzheimers Unit just because they need a body to stand in. My dad

truly needs the consistency so when a new face is in the unit, he gets

aggressive. Thank you for the support and for your opinions. I value

the information I get from this group as I have no one else to discuss

this with that knows what is going on. :-)

Sandie

Des Moines, IA

P.S. Best of luck with " The King " ...kinda made me laugh!!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/7/02 8:40:50 AM Central Daylight Time,

sanclown@... writes:

> Dad had trouble coming up with the correct word for some items in the

> picture.

>

Incorrect word usage, word finding and substitution problems are common as

this disease progresses. We have to keep an open and creative mind to

understand. Cheryl

[Guest guest]

>This is probably a silly question, but has anyone here learned to

>communicate (you know....when one person talks and the other one listens,

>taking it all in, thinks, and then responds......:-)with their LO's???

Mai-Liis

>

Oh Mai-Liis, you really make me laugh sometime. I've notice that Wil too is

giving rather strange responses, perhaps they are crypic, Buddhist-like,

messages. But of course he can not elaborate or explain. We laugh too but I

am feeling more and more often that lonliness of losing my companion.

Imelda

To learn more about Lewy Body Disase, please visit the Lewy Body Disease

Association site at: http://www.lewybodydisease.org

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/10/02 10:45:30 AM Central Daylight Time,

imelda4@... writes:

> We laugh too but I am feeling more and more often that lonliness of losing

> my companion.

So do we, but then we also had a yelling battle last night, with me throwing

at him the Depends he said he didn't need (they don't fly very well). Vis a

vis our on-site " communications " discussion, he said he was in a creekbed and

the water came rushing down. Perfectly understandable reason, in my opinion,

for him to deny having wet the bed! But he INISISTS it wasn't him!!!

aaarghhhhhh

And yes, it is becoming terribly lonely around here.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

Vis a vis our on-site " communications " discussion, he said he was in a

creekbed and the water came rushing down. Perfectly understandable reason,

in my opinion, for him to deny having wet the bed! But he INISISTS it

wasn't him!!! aaarghhhhhh

And yes, it is becoming terribly lonely around here.

Cheryl

Hope you don't mind but I had to laugh about the creekbed. That's as witty

as a Mai-Liis message. And throwing the Depends is perfect! I think I'll

try this when my husband refuses to change his. You too will laugh at this

someday.

One night before we left for Chicago, Wil started to talk to me in his

sleep. When he is sleeping his speech is much clearer, the thoughts are

elaborated on and the sentences are longer. Anyone else have this happen?

Anyway, he told me he had to change into a tux. I asked him why (I can talk

to him while he's sleeping) He said because the black lace dress I was

wearing was so beautiful that he didn't want to look like a slob next to

me. Pretty nice, considering I only own pants and shorts.

So, what exactly was he doing in that creekbed? Imelda

To learn more about Lewy Body Disase, please visit the Lewy Body Disease

Association site at: http://www.lewybodydisease.org

[Guest guest]

Mai Liis,

You are sure right about the laughter. I even laughed about the police

and mom's clever move to use alcohol. And I can just see getting angry

and throwing a Depend? I wish that was the worse I ever did. And I

know better. I wish we did get lots of stories from folk who could

eventually laugh at themselves. It's the old comedy/tragedy.

Donna

PS I hope I didn't sound like I was scolding you.

My next house will have no kitchen, just vending machines. Courtesy of

The-Mouth.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/13/02 11:32:10 AM Central Daylight Time,

imelda4@... writes:

> Hope you don't mind but I had to laugh about the creekbed. That's as witty

> as a Mai-Liis message. And throwing the Depends is perfect! I think I'll

> try this when my husband refuses to change his. You too will laugh at this

> someday.

Thanks for the compliment, Imelda! Being as witty as Mai-Liis is pretty hard

to do. :-) Oh, I was angry at the time, but Mai-Liis and I had a good laugh

about it later. It really is funny in retrospect. He was in the creekbed in

his dreams- brought on, I believe, by the " water " flow.

Bob's half-asleep comments aren't any more clear than awake, but I'll pay

closer attention with your question in mind. That your husband wanted to

dress in tux to equal your non-existent black lace dress - how sweet and how

LBD.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/14/02 7:10:33 PM Central Daylight Time,

MaiLiis@... writes:

> It feels so very good to have some laughter in all this.....and I

> respectfully suggest having a " Creative LO " and " Witty Caregiver " contest

> as a regular feature of this site.

What a great idea!!

I have another one for " Creative LO. " Bob thought he would get his own

Metamucil last night. He put a spoonful in the glass and then filled the

Metamucil cannister with water. Thankfully I was able to laugh as if he

could drink that (2/3 full with dry Metamucil) he probably wouldn't have to

take any more for a lonnnng time.

Cheryl