Re: Re: Jim's Health

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

A speech therapist has given tests twice at the nursing home for swallowing.

He has a nectar consistancy put in his water, but they said he can be on

Mechanical Soft Food and doesn't have to be on pureed yet. He will not eat

pureed anyway, he would rather starve than take a bite, so I am glad that he

will eat Mechanical Soft more than pureed food. He is a very picky eater on top

of everything else, so just getting him to eat is a plus. Thank you for the

information about Mucinex.

wrote:

Hi Jan -- You're doing a wonderful job. If I ever get sick, can I

call on you? What a great advocate you are for your Jim. I think

it's great that you have two weeks off from work and you can focus

your time on Jim - now that the holidays are pretty much over.

I did a search on Mucinex and Robin's given her dad Mucinex:

" Because we give my dad (with PSP) Mucinex to help break up and clear

the ever-present congestion... "

Another post of Robin's read:

" With increased choking/coughing on food and liquid occurs, it's time

to ask the neurologist for a referral to get a modified barium

swallow study. Let the speech language pathologist observe what's

going on and give you advice about whether it's time to puree foods

or thicken liquids. If your LO is silently aspirating, the SLP can

see that as well. If you request, they will have your LO take fluid

from a straw to see if that helps, and do a chin tuck with the

swallow to see if that helps.

We were very surprised about two things during my dad's swallow

study: he was silently aspirating all the time (the SLP said it was

a wonder he had not gotten pneumonia) and solid foods aren't a

problem. So we were told to thicken liquids to a certain consistency

or use regular liquids, limiting intake, and employing a chin tuck.

Sorry, I don't know anything about suctioning. There are a lot of

things you can do to try to cut down on the quantity of mucus and to

make the mucus less thick: take Mucinex (OTC medication; the SLP was

very impressed that the neurologist had put Dad on this over a year

ago); use netti pots; cut out dairy; etc. We give Dad OTC cough

syrup containing DM. (It doesn't contain guaifenisin, which is the

ingredient of Mucinex.) He perceives it helps. The neurologist and

primary care physician say that it doesn't hurt. "

Jonibeachbound wrote " My father has COPD and when he has mucous build-

up and wheezing his dr. puts him on Mucinex (over the counter drug)

and he also uses Advair Disc 2 x daily, along with an inhaler

Atrovent. If wheezing is really bad he uses his neubulizer (a machine

that he inhales medicine directly into his lungs) 2-3 times daily to

help open up his bronchial tubes (it's a long term effect, verses the

inhaler which is an immediate openning of the bronchial

tubes)....please do check with the Dr. to help get some relief !! "

Hope the info above helps. You should email the two above for further

details. I'm sure there are other posts -- just do a search on the

board...

Thinking of you.

Welcome to LBDcaregivers.

[Guest guest]

Isn't that the truth! And, my darling hasn't progressed all that much. But,

let me tell you, I have watched Jan with Jim, and I see a lot ahead of me. I

have no idea how that dear lady has survived all of it so long. I am happy

for her, for his better days, and that he can rest in a nursing home. He isn't

fighting with her, and it has taken a tremendous amount of struggle off of

her.

Imogene

In a message dated 1/4/2007 5:43:13 PM Central Standard Time,

ljrob09@... writes:

Jan,

Great news. I hope Jim continues to improve. You both deserve some

great days ahead. The downs and ups can really get you..they do me.

Daughter of Bill, 91