Re: Hi To All!

[Guest guest]

Jan, what a good feeling to hear your cheerful voice through your written

words.

I am happy for you that Jim is doing so well. The place seems to agree with

him.

Previously, I was concerned he would revert to the way he was, but it seems

he is doing excellently.

Please tell me, Jan, how long has Jim had LBD? When were you aware that

something wasn't right?

I need to study LBD very carefully, because I really don't know a lot about

it. I don't know what, or when, to expect things. He has had hallucinations

since the latter part of last year. I think it was in Oct last year that he

saw the tiger in the hall. Then I knew he needed a doctor. He has them almost

nightly, but has only seen cats and squirrels in the house during the day a

couple of time. He was fighting off one hallucination some time back, but

hasn't had another episode like that.

He is on Aricept. He was on Risperdal, and I think that medication may be

stalling off an agitated state. But, I have taken him off it, and two doctors

were glad. I thought it was going to give him a hear attack.

Please, when you feel up to it, will you give me a little run down so I will

know what may happen to Don, and generally when.

Thanks so much,

Imogene

Caregiver for my True Texas Gentleman husband of 35 years. He has LBD with

Parkinsonism, and Frontal Lobe Disease with Apathy

In a message dated 5/12/2006 12:58:25 AM Central Daylight Time,

janetcolello@... writes:

Gee, I miss all you people. I have to learn to pace

myself between my life and with Jim. I just feel like

I have to be with him everyday. I need my Jim Fix.

He is doing so well, he really belongs there. The only

problem that I have and I also had at the Day Program

is that Jim is a very, very picky eater and won't eat

their food. I gave them a list of his likes and hope

they start using it. I have been packing dinners for

Jim and bringing them in a Thermal Bag, just so that

he will eat. I show the staff before he eats and at

the end what he ate, so they can record it. I eat

Jim's dinner from the center and he eats what I bring

for him. LOL

He is walking a few steps everyday with his walker. I

hope to get him back to where he was with the walker

before his trip to the hospital. How fast their

muscles deteriorate within a week. I brought my book

of exercises to do with Jim that a physical therapist

gave me a few years ago to do with Jim and I have him

do them everynight while laying on the bed. I told the

staff not to lift him from his wheelchair to the bed,

but to let him pull up and stand from the wheelchair

with assistance and then they assist him to turn and

they get his legs up onto the bed. I want him to use

his legs all he can. There has already been a change

since a few days ago when his legs where shaking and

he could bearly stand, he can take at least 3-4 steps

forward with the walker before getting tired, so he is

gradually beginning to get his strength in his legs

back. Today they did exercises in the activity room

also. Jim is catching on and doing his own exercises

while sitting in his chair and marching in place, he

lifts each foot off the ground one at a time like

marching. Jim is worn out and ready for bed by 7:30PM.

Where can you get a full meal and an evening of

entertainment side by side with your Loved One these

days! I had dinner with Jim last evening and they had

a man and woman that came to entertain and sang Show

Tunes. They were good. The lady came up and held Jim's

hand and sang to him and he smiled and blushed. So

Cute! I haven't seen him blush like that in a long

time. Jim has a lot of lady friends that live there at

the center, they all want to mother him and make sure

he is ok. He is the new kid on the block. Jim always

loved attention and he gets it there.

Stevie, those pictures are priceless of the before and

after photos of Mr. B, but I must say, even though he

wears out fast, he sure looks a whole lot better than

those boney pictures of him after he came home from

respite at the nh. Jim has dropped 8lbs between his

stay at the hospital and the nh. I have started

bringing him meals from home, which he will eat and I

eat his dinners at the center, since they are paid

for. I have to get meat back on his bones. He is such

a picky eater and would rather starve than eat.

, I'm sorry to hear that your mother hurt

herself at the nh, but I'm glad it wasn't as serious

as you thought it might be. I am feeling more spread

out than ever right now, but I guess I will get over

it sooner or later and pace myself. I'm just not ready

to give up my Jim time yet, which is everyday. Jim has

been there a full week this coming Saturday. How time

flies! I only have 10 minutes time to travel to see

Jim compared to your hour to get to your LO.

, I'm also glad that your mother seems to be

healing well also. Jim had a lot of falls at home

where he would just stand up and start walking and

lose his balance and fall. He would forget to hold

onto his walker. The night he went into the hospital,

he had fallen against the closet door in our bedroom

and completely knocked it off the track. He was not

hurt, but the closet door was. I struggled to get

those wheels back on the track, but it just wouldn't

happen for me, so I had to call in a repair man from

the senior community center that charges only $15.00

an hour to do repairs. I get a whole list of small

things that need repairing and call him. He fixes

about 4 to 6 things within an hour for $15.00.

Anita, I know about your lonliness in the Lewy World.

It is even harder when your LO(Loved One) still needs

that feeling of independence when they can not reason

properly. I hated that phase with my husband.

Gradually, I just started hiring people to do the

jobs, he couldn't do. It was hard on my husband at

first, but he learned to accept it, because deep down

he knew he couldn't do it, but didn't want to give up.

Sandie and Donna, what a great idea to send Mr. B

Lillies of the Valley and how creative you were in

sending them. Bravo ladies!

Hugs to all, Jan

P.S. The admissions lady at the nh is going to give me

the information on their training of LBD. I will let

you know about it when I get the information.

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