Re: How Did You Learn To...

August 23, 2008

Hi Cesca,

I totally second what Donna says. I think I'm following in her exact path. My

Mom can become terrified. She had been on Prozac for quite sometime before all

this. Along her journey, we had to rule out hallucinations from meds. I took

her off the 20mg a day. She was hallucinating our house was being bombed, among

other frightful things. Back on the Prozac and up to 40mg now. She told her

Neurologist, we are working w/ a Psychiatrist now, that she can tell the

difference. She now hallucinates boyfriends that's right plural, that we are

flying to FL for my wedding and I'm pregnant. I'm 46 have never been married or

pregnant...not at the top of my bucket list. Last words of advice from my

Father 15 yrs ago: " Get married. " In the beginning she trusted I was

responsible for her and could handle all the people, animals (both

hallucinations) and finances (unfortunately not hallucinations). Now, not so

much. I have found that

when you explain the worse case scenario, such as " I won't be able to take care

of you. The government will be telling me what to do. " Or use a figure

authority other than yourself because you are the child in their world " The Dr

said you should do this. " Express your desire to do this for her because you

love her and want to do what she did for you when you were a child. (Payback is

a b----) When we get older our personalities go to the nth power, so use your

experience with your Mom's personality....before.

It¢s not the destination. It¢s the journey

Best of luck on your journey,

KatCaregiver for Mom, Jane, and our 2 dogs, hemorrhagicbrain stem stroke 2/06,

misdiagnosed w/ low vision and side effects from meds, diagnosed w/ LBD 2/08.

How Did You Learn To...

....proceed with things that need to be done in the face of your

parent's resistance or just plain refusal to have a discussion? In

other words, how did you learn to override the growing stubborness and

insist upon a behavior when you are used to being the adult equal and

now must behave as the parent? The guilt I'm feeling is terrible -

you'd think I was condemning my mother to life in a 3x5 room rather

than asking her sign a durable power of attorney. Need encouragement

and wisdom!! Thanks, Cesca

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