Guest guest Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 Marilyn, so good to hear you are now in the driver's seat, but sad that it depresses Bill. So good for you to be able to handle this experience while on the road! Kudos! My question is, is he on any meds to help him cognitviely, physically with the rigidity in movement, or emotionally? One med at a time to reap its benefits and start with a low dose, increase slowly if needed to determine success. So many of our loved ones end up overmedicated and on the wrong meds leading to severe complications. He could go downhill with the anticipation of change, with the travel/change of location at this time in his journey. Just remind him of the benefits he has already expressed. Another frequent cause of quick decline can be urinary tract infection, often found to be a reality in our los. I'm so glad you have found us and are willing to share. Gibsons BC Mother died Aug. 12, 2006 at age 92 after a 13 year decline from PDD. > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > Marilyn > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 Hi ; He is on aricept. The other meds are for diabetes. He has type 2. That's another thing I have taken over is keeping track of his meds. I think a lot of this is from depression. I do think the changes we have to make is a problem for him although he said he is happy that we are going to move closer to family. I believe part of the problem is feeling he isn't able to help a lot with these changes. Since I've taken over driving has been hard for him. He's made several comments of feeling useless if he can't drive. Monday we are going to Oroville to see friends of ours and that should cheer him up. If I were in his situation and realized what was happening I don't know how I would handle it. I would be very depressed I'm sure. We just have to get through this. Today was a tough day and thank God we were with good and understanding friends. We have met so many good friends during out travels and this will be hard for both of us to give up. Tomorrow will be a better day. Marilyn ________________________________ To: LBDcaregivers Sent: Saturday, August 8, 2009 11:34:08 PM Subject: Re: update from Marilyn Marilyn, so good to hear you are now in the driver's seat, but sad that it depresses Bill. So good for you to be able to handle this experience while on the road! Kudos! My question is, is he on any meds to help him cognitviely, physically with the rigidity in movement, or emotionally? One med at a time to reap its benefits and start with a low dose, increase slowly if needed to determine success. So many of our loved ones end up overmedicated and on the wrong meds leading to severe complications. He could go downhill with the anticipation of change, with the travel/change of location at this time in his journey. Just remind him of the benefits he has already expressed. Another frequent cause of quick decline can be urinary tract infection, often found to be a reality in our los. I'm so glad you have found us and are willing to share. Gibsons BC Mother died Aug. 12, 2006 at age 92 after a 13 year decline from PDD. > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > Marilyn > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 i see your mom had pdd my father inlaw has been told he has it to.was there a lot of flucuations in the start.i am just curious because he will be real good then for no reason be real bad till he is put in the nh then after awhile he gets back to normal almost.is this normal Subject: Re: update from Marilyn To: LBDcaregivers Date: Sunday, August 9, 2009, 1:34 AM Marilyn, so good to hear you are now in the driver's seat, but sad that it depresses Bill. So good for you to be able to handle this experience while on the road! Kudos! My question is, is he on any meds to help him cognitviely, physically with the rigidity in movement, or emotionally? One med at a time to reap its benefits and start with a low dose, increase slowly if needed to determine success. So many of our loved ones end up overmedicated and on the wrong meds leading to severe complications. He could go downhill with the anticipation of change, with the travel/change of location at this time in his journey. Just remind him of the benefits he has already expressed. Another frequent cause of quick decline can be urinary tract infection, often found to be a reality in our los. I'm so glad you have found us and are willing to share. Gibsons BC Mother died Aug. 12, 2006 at age 92 after a 13 year decline from PDD. > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > Marilyn > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 Dear Marilyn, You may want to eventually add namenda to the aricept.... it does improve cognition, but I have to say that it did make Mom a lot drowsier. Some days will be wonderful, some will be awful... that's the roller coaster that defines Lewy. Stay with the group - it has been a Godsend to me. Sending you hugs as you embark on this new journey, Helene from NY (Mom 75) > > > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > > > Marilyn > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 My mom lived an hour from me, working and raising 3 children, 2 dogs. I am sure now that she put on showtime for my weekly visits, which was about all I could fit in. Thankfully I paced myself because it proved to be a 13 year journey of decline needing more and more of my intervention as needs increased. I am sure I missed much of the fluctuating. What I did find was confusion over the fact that we would make decisions about what kind of assistance she would need, then on the next visit she would have changed her mind or cancelled the care we had in place. LBD was much more of an unknown then. I thought her confusion and cognitive loss was more due to side effects of the Sinemet she was taking for her then diagnosed " Parkinsons " , which is all we thought she suffered from. Her boyfriend who spent time with her on a daily basis was the 1 who expressed concern about her driving, overall condition. She had no one there 24/7 until mid stage when we put her into assisted living. I'm sorry I can't answer your question. Hindsight is everything on this journey but LBD wasn't even mentioned to me until she was admitted to nh care in a wheelchair, very confused, hallucinating, needing 2 person assists with care. The fluctuations were obvious as she progressed, but while in the early stages, I am sure they were there, just not witnessed by myself. It's part of the condition. > > > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > > > Marilyn > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 Marilyn, also, a little bit of Zoloft might help the depression, a bit of Sinemet the physical rigidity. There are many meds our loved ones cannot tolerate and again, any new ones started should be started on a low dose, raised slowly if indicated and 1 at a time so benefits/side effects can be noted and dealt with. The Namenda works differently within the brain than Aricept and many find using both beneficial cognitively. I cannot imagine how being aware of needing someone to slowly take over all responsibility within a marriage is tolerated. Feelings of depression and feeling useless are certainly understood. I hope today is a better day for you both. > > > > > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > > > > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > > > > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > > > > > Marilyn > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 Marilyn, congratulations on your succesful moving and on your courage to drive a motor home! I'm glad you could do it without complications. I hope everyting goes well with you and Bill. Surely, the depression must be due to new surroundings -it's hard for LBD patients to adjust to a new place. Maybe after a few days, when he's more familiar with his new enviroment, he'll come out of it. You know that this illness has that characteristic of being like a roller coaster -one day it's up in the clouds, the next (day, hour, minutes) it's down, down, down. I'll have you both in my prayers. Hugs, Raquel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 9, 2009 Report Share Posted August 9, 2009 Marilyn, Glad you made it safely. It is hard for someone who has taken care of themselves to suddenly be dependent. My mom went throught 2-3 years of feeling like she was worthless because she could no longer work for a living, clean house, cook, etc. She now has accepted it and is just thankful she can see me. It takes a while. It is a major change, and a person has to redefine his sense of worth from what he can do to the fact that he just is. In Christian terms it is the difference between trying to earn your worth and receiving it by God's grace just because you are his creation and he loves you. Best wishes as you take one day at a time. Gurganus Wilmington NC > > > > Thanks for all of your information and help. As of several days ago I am doing the driveing. I am 70 years old and learning how to drive the motor home was a little intimidating. I drove from San , Ca to Lodi,Ca the 6th of August. The traffic was crazy but I did it. My husband is a little unhappy with me doing all of the driving but he will adjust. Today was a bad day for him. He said if he can't drive any more he is useless. My comment to him was he is worth a lot more than just driving a car. He has been depressed all day. I worried about him having a stoke this AM because his walk was very slow and unsure footed. He ackted like he was in slow motion today. He told me he didn't sleep much last night and was thinking about the move. Today he said he is happy with the move closer to family. > > > > In September we will look at mobile homes in parks in Oakhurst, Ca.. We will get back to Yuma, Az in October and I will put the house up for sale. > > > > Again thank all of you for your input. It helps a lot. I am a little shocked how fast Bill is going down hill. > > > > Marilyn > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.