.... forgot her walker and fell in the hall, got a goose egg on the back of her head, no other injuries. The medics came but she refused to go to ER. By the time I got to her AL she seemed fine and had an ice pack on and seem to like all the attention.
She has had many TIAs, I recently had her at the neurologist and he ordered a wheelchair because of fall risk...hopefully we will get today.
I'm worried about this bump on the head..like can that bring on more TIAs, bigger stroke, etc?
FOG is nagging at me!!
Had visit with her primary doctor too yesterday, copied what Barb wrote and gave it to Dr. in privacy, it worked out perfectly. Her doctor agrees that her happiness and peace of mind is what is best and lowering it to see if it helps with confusion... Time will tell.
Finally found out that the "referral quote for a geriatric psychiatrist out of town had nothing to do with insurance, maybe it did I don't know yet, but they sent papers to be filled out to my mom at assisted-living instead of to me the first week in May. Sometimes I wonder if these "professionals "know about this world of "aging". Needless to say, I have no idea where the papers are plus my mom can't find her checkbook, and has not paid her rent at the beginning of the month. The administrator contacted me yesterday needing payment so today I am on a search for her checkbook and then to a lawyer to get POA over finances 😶
Never thought I would have to be in charge of my mom's money, she was always so good at it.
When I arrived to her room to go to the doctor she was watching SpongeBob Square pants on TV 😫 😕😏🙃 and having a conversation with someone on the phone. When I asked her who it was she said "well it's you!" and started laughing
I really hate this disease or whatever it is I don't even know what to call it that she has I just miss my mom... even the one that used to get on my nerves I miss her so much. I know I will get over this rough patch but it really hurts right now. She could care less whether she watches the news anymore either...bye bye FOX!
I'm very grateful for the help I receive here, thank you all so much 💜
I know things will get better and I'm very thankful she is feeling more peace now.
HolidayEnd, my mom acts like a child like age too sometimes...yes she seems very happy which makes me happy but also realizes how confused she is but also thinks that's funny. There have been issues with the DON in the past but have since been resolved but my mom never got past certain incidents but now she will speak to her and doesn't seem bothered by her since on this med which is great. The DON was constantly on my mom's mind and always had her agitated, I think it just happened to be her in the wrong place or something more than anything
Everyone in my extended family has opinions on the antipsychotic meds mom is being prescribed. I don’t. There was an incident of mom accusing people of stealing from her and wandering into other people’s rooms when she was trying out a new med. That was not the right one for her!
So you don’t like the DON? Why?
Taking mom to her primary doc at 3 today...I need to make a list of all my concerns I've been observing since she started Topamax on the 28th. The staff at her AL are concerned also (not the DON...she likes this med for mom cuz it puts her in lala land therefore no problems or anxiety to deal with from my mom)
If I didn't know any better I would think my mom has Alzheimer's. It takes her forever to get out what she wants to say cannot decide what she wants to order off the menu for dinner, no sense of time really, giggles at everything, repeats and repeats trying to get out words and stares at me like she thinks it's funny. I want to write all the stuff down on paper ahead of time for the doctor to read so I don't have to say all the stuff in front of my mom but my brain will not work. Not sure how to shorten it up unlike how I am writing here right now. My mom almost asked like a little girl and tells me the craziest stories it's breaking my heart
Do you need to have a referral for specialists? Some insurances do; some do not.
Find out if there is a geri psych team that services mom's AL. My mom felt more comfortable, I think, because the geri psych who visited her every few weeks was a fixture at her IL and visited many of the residents. There wasn't the stigma of "oh, I'm seeing a psychiatrist" type of thing.
Topomox is apparently often prescibed off label for bipolar, so it may be having a "mood lifting" effect on your mom. The neuro needs to know that. It may not be a bad thing; just needs to be recorded that it's her reaction to this particular drug.
Bella, I have to tell you that once my mom was dx'ed with mild cog impairment, which explained her "toxic" anxiety (and got my brother to stop saying that mom was just having a pity party and "doing this to herself") I stopped worrying about her being prescribed psych meds.
I frankly didn't care if she was overmedicated or not (other folks, the docs and NPs worried about that). I wanted mom NOT to be anxious, scared, crying, wringing her hands. I told anyone who would listen to me that I'd rather mom be overmedicated than in psychic pain. She didn't deserve to be that way.
I will call the Neurologist to report symptoms tomorrow and the primary to see what the holdup is for the geriatric psychiatrist
If you are concerned that mom is acting loopy, I'd put in a call to the office tomorrow to report what effects you are seeing.
Given your mom's anxiety and agitation and mood seings, you might want to consult a geriatric psychiatrist in addition to the Neuro doc.
Mom started taking Topamax on the 28th of this month and she is mellow as can be. Finding the right words to say is a real struggle for her or making a decision about something. It's almost like she is high on marijuana... she giggles at everything and acts like she's in La La Land. I have never seen my mom so happy and carefree... the lines on her face have even diminished from no worry. She even surprised the DON that she hates so much with a nice hello yesterday and told me that my step brother made the comedian Roseanne a chair along time ago. There's more odd things she's been saying...
I'm almost reluctant to let you know here that this is starting to worry me even though I've been told it takes a while for the medicine to kick in. I imagine you will tell me to sit back and enjoy the "happy mom" who is now experiencing calmness, non-anxiety, less paranoia etc etc! It is very nice but at the same time very alarming to me because it such a drastic change!
I need some advice please because I need to know I'm doing the right thing for her and that this is normal, I want to have a peaceful Sunday in my mind and just know that my mom is OK on this medicine and not just getting drugged up😕
I think part of your search is part of you grieving the changes in your mum which are also losses. You see your mum declining and want to be sure you are doing everything you can to help her. but inevitably, over time, as will happen to all of us, the decline continues no matter what you or the drs do. The searching is part of grief as is the sadness. Give yourself time and space to process this. And give yourself time to "enjoy" your mum as much as possible, and to enjoy your life apart from your mum. ((((((hugs)))))
😢
The trouble is that our wanting to know does not mean that science has the answers to our questions :(
It makes me sad😢
I am an only child and her only caregiver besides the care she gets which is little at her assisted living.
I am the one who answers her phone calls every day and tries to console her when she's crying and wondering what is happening to her body.
I'm the one who has to report to her doctors all of her symptoms. I'm not trying to become a medical doctor through this journey of care for my mom, I am only trying to find her some relief and comfort. I'm there for her on her good and bad days.
I'm not OK with doctors throwing meds out at her experimenting which ones work best because they don't know what's wrong with her.
True, doctors don't have all the answers but they sure do love to push drugs !
Bella, I do think you could quite easily drive yourself round the twist trying to give your mother's condition neat, tidy labels. Sometimes, you know, doctors just don't have all the answers. It's best to handle what's in front of you - enjoy the good days, be there for her through the worse ones.
Alzheimers is the one that does a bit of a descending roller coaster act, with good days and bad days being part of an overall downhill trend.
Typically, vascular dementia is described as going in steps. Level periods of months, weeks, with no real change, then a marked deterioration in one function or another, or several, and then the next plateau; but no real recovery of lost abilities.
Having said that, energy levels can vary a good deal. That might have something to do with it - she'd had several good nights' sleep in a row, plenty of rest, enough to eat and drink, maybe a bit of sunshine, just happened to wake up full of beans?
Having hard time understanding the fact that one day she's practically disabled and the next us quite capable.
Is this how vascular dementia works??
"Sit down! Where's your walker? Stop rushing around! Give me those pillows! What's *wrong* with you today?!"
I am afraid that the difficulties and risks you've noticed piling up will be back quite soon enough. Meanwhile, as far as you can, enjoy your mother's good days as you might enjoy good weather in the fall.
Uncertainty is very stressful, I do feel for you. If everything followed a smooth, predictable path at least we'd know what we need to do to help.
I'm confused. She almost seems a bit manic and I have noticed this cycle before and this was also before she started Lexapro, this manic behavior. I get exhausted worrying about why her body is acting the way it does, her moods, paranoia...I know it's probably from the TIAs!?!?...and then yesterday when I seen her it's like nothing is wrong... it really messes with my head.
I think I have become a control freak, trying to figure out what is exactly wrong with her and getting every little thing that she needs.
Not liking myself for wasting so much time and energy this last month on this. How do I know when to just step back and know that I have done enough...
The bump on her head went down fast that same day...no soreness anywhere...got lucky... next time I will push for ER but if she refuses it what more can I do? Since I am POA, will I be in trouble if I don't make her go ? She is still competent although sometimes I think not! Has good days and bad days.
Still waiting on wheelchair...yesterday I called the medical supply store and they still haven't got the proper information from the neurologist stating all the reasons why she needs a wheelchair in order for Medicare to approve! If I hadn't of called yesterday to inquire on status of wheelchair the order would still be just sitting there doing nothing. I called the neurologist office again to send over the proper information yesterday, and today I will have to call again to make sure that got done. Aggravating!
I'm about ready to go buy her one myself !
I looked at them at Walmart for $150, looks kind of junkie. At the medical supply store they are $350 or rent one for $30 a month.
Any suggestions?
TIAs happen. BUT, a severe blow to the head might cause coma or death. It’s best to take the fall victim to the ER. Better safe than sorry. But your incident happened a while ago? Just take this as a lesson. Your actions won’t cause a TIA. Stop the second guessing and guilt!!!
A CNA told her that it's cheaper in NH than where shes at in assisted-living. That was how she started this conversation by talking about the cost and then went on to say how she thinks she's going to keep getting worse and needs more help. Still waiting on a wheelchair... she has trouble getting up and down and around with her walker, is afraid she will fall again. Has trouble with her pajamas when she needs to go to the restroom ( the way she describes it is she's taking her pajama pants clear off and then has trouble getting her legs back in them) and does not want to use her call button. She thinks the staff at her AL isn't capable of helping her with what she needs.
Do I brush this off as her dementia talking or try to grant her wish. She hasn't really even gotten an official diagnosis yet of dementia although the MRI kind of suggested it. She has always hated this assisted-living and complains about something every day. Even at the neurologist the other day I told him that she wanted to go to a nursing home and he looked at her like WHY? And then asked her, what makes you think it will be any better there? (as far as care). She said, well I probably won't but she think she needs more care than what assisted-living will do.
If nursing home is what she needs I don't even know where to start.
My mom has had many falls and nearly every time I've taken her to the ER - I kinda suspect her dementia was brought on from hitting her head so many times - but except for the falls which resulted in broken bones, there was not much to be done
Just last week a woman in her facility fell backwards and hit her head and had a big bump on the back of it - staff put ice on it and monitored her during the night -
The thought of spending 12 hours in the ER is nearly unbearable now - it was actually a bit of relief when mom went to a wheelchair from her walker