Guest guest Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Hi April- This seems to be a case of when it rains it pours. I appreciate that you are asking for prayers. I shall definitely keep you and your family in my prayers. In answer to your question regarding the neurologist and appointment schedules...my dad was seen no earlier than 3 months apart. There were times in the journey that he was seen every 6 months as well. I would be surprised if a neurologist would agree to every month appointments. I would guess that the gurgling your MIL hears is due to swallowing. This has to do with muscles in the throat not working well from a Parkinson's symptom. Unless it is in the lungs of course. Thank you for posting and continuing to give reports on your FIL. Remeber too, that as long as there is life, there is hope. Hugs- Sandie Des Moines, IA dad, Merle, passed from LBD 9-20-02, age 65 -- More About My FIL...Any MY Dad My MIL sent me a copy of a detailed letter last night that she'd written to the neurologist my FIL has an appointment with in the morning. I thought I had a pretty good grip on all of my FIL's problems, but they go deeper than what I realized. For example, she said he has recently started to make a gurgling noise at night when he goes to bed. That is especially worrisome to me. She said his breathing has become labored. His favorite cousin came for a visit two days ago and my MIL said my FIL couldn't sit still long enough to visit with her. He wanted to be moved from one place to the next constantly. She wants to ask the doctor if my FIL should be in some sort of program where he can be around other people besides his family. She also opened the letter stating that, due to his rapid decline, she thinks my FIL needs to be seen more often than every 2- 3 months. I'm not sure why she's pushing that so hard. She stated in her letter several times that the meds are not helping him. Plus, it is such a huge chore to drive the 3 hours to Atlanta with my FIL from their house that I can't imagine her wanting to do that monthly. I'll ask again, but have any of you had the experience of a neurologist seeing your LO month-to-month? I just don't think that's going to happen, especially at a busy place like Emory. I would like to ask for your prayers regarding my own dad. He is 81 years old, a widow, and lives about 15 miles from my brother. Well, I spoke to my brother last night and he said he's certain my dad suffered a stroke. He can't use his left hand, the left side of his face is droopy, and he's dragging is left foot. His speech has also become slurred. So, my brother is going to take my dad to the doctor today for a full evaluation. It's very upsetting because my brother said my dad has reached a point where he isn't able to live on his own anymore and he's talking about placing him in an assisted living facility. That has always been my dad's biggest fear, so it's very hard to deal with, especially since I live 11 hours from him. I'm amazed that my husband and I are about the learn our father's fates in just a day apart. We both understand the emotions the other one is experiencing, so that makes it easier to cope. No matter how young or old one's parent is, though, you're just never ready to say goodbye. I'll be in touch, April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 It may be because our Doctor is new to us, or rather we are new to him, but we have seen him every month this first three months. We will see him again Thursday. Thank goodness he is only one mile from us. Imogene In a message dated 7/10/2006 8:58:38 AM Central Daylight Time, sanclown@... writes: Hi April- This seems to be a case of when it rains it pours. I appreciate that you are asking for prayers. I shall definitely keep you and your family in my prayers. In answer to your question regarding the neurologist and appointment schedules...my dad was seen no earlier than 3 months apart. There were times in the journey that he was seen every 6 months as well. I would be surprised if a neurologist would agree to every month appointments. I would guess that the gurgling your MIL hears is due to swallowing. This has to do with muscles in the throat not working well from a Parkinson's symptom. Unless it is in the lungs of course. Thank you for posting and continuing to give reports on your FIL. Remeber too, that as long as there is life, there is hope. Hugs- Sandie Des Moines, IA dad, Merle, passed from LBD 9-20-02, age 65 -------Original Message------- From: aswest1021 Date: 07/10/06 07:49:01 To: LBDcaregivers Subject: More About My FIL...Any MY Dad My MIL sent me a copy of a detailed letter last night that she'd written to the neurologist my FIL has an appointment with in the morning. I thought I had a pretty good grip on all of my FIL's problems, but they go deeper than what I realized. For example, she said he has recently started to make a gurgling noise at night when he goes to bed. That is especially worrisome to me. She said his breathing has become labored. His favorite cousin came for a visit two days ago and my MIL said my FIL couldn't sit still long enough to visit with her. He wanted to be moved from one place to the next constantly. She wants to ask the doctor if my FIL should be in some sort of program where he can be around other people besides his family. She also opened the letter stating that, due to his rapid decline, she thinks my FIL needs to be seen more often than every 2- 3 months. I'm not sure why she's pushing that so hard. She stated in her letter several times that the meds are not helping him. Plus, it is such a huge chore to drive the 3 hours to Atlanta with my FIL from their house that I can't imagine her wanting to do that monthly. I'll ask again, but have any of you had the experience of a neurologist seeing your LO month-to-month? I just don't think that's going to happen, especially at a busy place like Emory. I would like to ask for your prayers regarding my own dad. He is 81 years old, a widow, and lives about 15 miles from my brother. Well, I spoke to my brother last night and he said he's certain my dad suffered a stroke. He can't use his left hand, the left side of his face is droopy, and he's dragging is left foot. His speech has also become slurred. So, my brother is going to take my dad to the doctor today for a full evaluation. It's very upsetting because my brother said my dad has reached a point where he isn't able to live on his own anymore and he's talking about placing him in an assisted living facility. That has always been my dad's biggest fear, so it's very hard to deal with, especially since I live 11 hours from him. I'm amazed that my husband and I are about the learn our father's fates in just a day apart. We both understand the emotions the other one is experiencing, so that makes it easier to cope. No matter how young or old one's parent is, though, you're just never ready to say goodbye. I'll be in touch, April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 sandra_dil wrote: >...Get your Dad checked for a UTI, but also take seriously that some form of dementia might be involved and deal with that too. You have learned a lot due to your FIL, so use it to help your Dad. Take care. > Good advice, ! Infections such as UTI can indeed alter body and brain chemistry and bring on behaviors which are often misdiagnosed. April thinks the anesthesia would not be an issue since it was local rather than general. Certainly the side effects would be less than those that come with general anesthesia, I agree. However, when a loved one begins to act out of character with what presents as confusion, delusions or psychosis, it is always a good idea to review the medications they are taking or to which they have been exposed. Mom's first episodes of confusion, delusions and psychotic behavior came following a fall for which she was taken to the emergency room. She suffered from vertigo and believed that was the reason for her fall (keep in mind she was completely lucid and mentally alert up to this time). They gave her Ativan for the nausea she had with the vertigo and it sent her into full blown psychosis - hearing and seeing things, paranoia, and disorientation. She was admitted and received some other medications to which she reacted just as badly. Once they quit giving her the medications to which she was sensitive, she reovered (for the most part) in a matter of three days. It is very common in nursing homes to see patients who are suffering from overmedication, leading patients to exhibit what appears to be symptoms of dementia. Considering the relatively short period of time since April's father appeared to be fully lucid and cognizant before surgery and the issues he now has, I'd want him to be professionally evaluated to determine a diagnosis for his curent behavior - and that includes having blood work, urine specimen, and evaluation of medications both current and from the time he was hospitalized as well as a brain scan for possible stroke. Emboli following cardiac procedures are not uncommon. This is the very kind of situation which requires advocacy to ensure appropriate diagnosis and care of our LOs. My uncle (age 80) recently had a knee replacement surgery and subsequent to it went through exactly what April's father is going through. It turns out that at the nursing home to which he was sent for rehab, he was chewing his pain medications because in the haze residual from the morphine in the hospital he thought that was what they wanted. After a week or 10 days of his confusion and his kids thinking he had become demented and driving themselves nuts trying to figure out how to bring him out of it, one of the nurses finally noticed what he was doing and he was told to swallow the medicine whole. Upon doing so, after one day, the fog lifted and he was again himself. Amazing how little it takes to alter someone's mental state, eh? jacqui (from Puget Sound) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 , I have been reading your post and the UTI is something I will consider. My mother who has LBD/ Parkinson's dx 8/2003, has on 5/5/06 fallen and broke her right hip and then on 7/9/06 fell and broke her left hip. She has done therapy fairly well, and she thinks she can walk on her own, but forgets she can not. Now she is in a wheelchair and keeps trying to get up thinking she can walk ( that's how she broke the left hip). Just yesterday night and tonight the nursing home has called to say my mother has crawled out of bed from the bottom end (the sides have railings) and they find her sitting on the floor near the door about 5 feet from the bed. Any suggestions on what to do? I have thought about lowering the bed to prevent a hard fall. Putting rugs around the bed to pad the area. Also this is a sudden change in her behavior, maybe I should check with the neurologist about her meds. She is on Stelevo, Aricept, Namenda, Paxil, and Seroquel at night. I do not want to drug her up, but if I can I want to prevent falling as much as possible. It is a fine line on what to do. Thank you to anyone with any suggestions. I will consider checking for the UTI infection also. Thanks! Carol B. Elk Grove Vlg IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Hi Carol- I purchased online both a bed and chair alarm for my Dad. They both functioned well, but there were 2 particular drawbacks. #1 My Mom would forget to turn the alarm on the bed alarm. (I really don't think she was too thrilled with it. She thought it was not necessary. #2 My Dad who liked many men loved to fool with gadgets, was able to dismantle the alarm, so the alarms went by the wayside. I really thought they were worthwhile, but I could not get the cooperation from my Mother. To this day, I cannot get the importance of safety through to my elderly Mother. . Also, the idea of lowering the height of the bed is excellent. In many hospitals it is now probtocol to keep the bed in the lowest position to prevent falls. I hope this helps. Gerry Wilmington, De. Daughter and caregiver of Dick Deverell, who died on 9/11/05 after a more than 4 yr. battle with LBD. Re: April , I have been reading your post and the UTI is something I will consider. My mother who has LBD/ Parkinson's dx 8/2003, has on 5/5/06 fallen and broke her right hip and then on 7/9/06 fell and broke her left hip. She has done therapy fairly well, and she thinks she can walk on her own, but forgets she can not. Now she is in a wheelchair and keeps trying to get up thinking she can walk ( that's how she broke the left hip). Just yesterday night and tonight the nursing home has called to say my mother has crawled out of bed from the bottom end (the sides have railings) and they find her sitting on the floor near the door about 5 feet from the bed. Any suggestions on what to do? I have thought about lowering the bed to prevent a hard fall. Putting rugs around the bed to pad the area. Also this is a sudden change in her behavior, maybe I should check with the neurologist about her meds. She is on Stelevo, Aricept, Namenda, Paxil, and Seroquel at night. I do not want to drug her up, but if I can I want to prevent falling as much as possible. It is a fine line on what to do. Thank you to anyone with any suggestions. I will consider checking for the UTI infection also. Thanks! Carol B. Elk Grove Vlg IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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