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Psychotic - Seroquel not helping
Background: DH with vascular dementia began experiencing hallucinations and delusions that fueled extreme anger, threats, and numerous attempts to strike me beginning last Friday. An ER visit to check blood work, UA, and CT scan showed no organic cause for his psychotic behavior. He was discharged home with no referral for…
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Music Will Not Let You Down
Family disappoints you, friends abandon you, church lets you down, Uncle Sam doesn’t help, and the medical community leaves a lot to be desired. Basically, every single support system I had counted on has let me down in one way or another. Caring for my wife with dementia is something no one wants to help with. People mean…
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An unsettling phone call
We were very close friends with a couple from Mississippi. We lost touch with them several years ago, and when I placed Carole in MC, I tried to find them on facebook, even though I never do facebook. I had no luck finding him, but I did find his wife, and connected with her. They divorced in 1999, and she has been living…
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What's next????
Right when I think I can handle things a little longer...DH takes another turn down the rapids. We have/had an exercise physiologist come 3X/week for an hour and a home aide that comes/came twice a week for 4 hours. Last week, the exercise guy comes in and tells me that DH struck him while they were on a walk. Seems DH was…
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virtual phone call
I realized this morning that I need to develop a support network for times like this. In the past week my DH has had no idea: when my birthday was, when the last few times we traveled was, what my phone number was. He was having breakfast with friends this morning and called me (on my cell phone) to ask what my phone…
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question about careblazers
Has anyone heard about Dr. Natali I think she's a geropsychologist. I've been watching some of her YouTube videos and she seems for knowledgeable, sincere about caregivers and pwd. I've signed up on her email list and just got a email for "Fun in Caregiving" I believe it's an seminar. Has anyone taken any of her online…
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Abc123(2)
Abc I was glad to see your post on Ed s thread, however brief. Have been thinking about you and hope you are okay. Let us know when you can.
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Book “Kisses for Elizabeth “
I bought this book and just got it. It’s a very good book with a lot of common sense. I had gone back to see some older post on here and found some very good and informative post. I think the one from the lady that wrote this book was back in 2012 or 2013. I was interested in her post and decided to get her book and very…
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Hellish weekend - Next step, psych drugs
DH with VD has suffered another sudden change in behavior - likely caused by more micro-vascular stroke damage last week. Beginning Friday afternoon, he suffered a major meltdown where his paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions were in full flower. He is seeing people, whole groups of people, who (in his mind) are…
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Fell and hit his head
Reeling today as I got a call from the MC community saying my husband was up all night - going on for some time I guess- and this morning when up, someone was trying to get him to lunch as he'd slept almost all morning, thank goodness, and he got up, a bit dazed, and fell, hitting his head on a dresser. I was told he was…
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Ed1937(1)
Ed, I just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking of you and hope your well. I know yesterday must have been a difficult day and today is likely ever more challenging. Sending thoughts & prayers my friend!
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Stage 5/6 straight to Stage 8
Yesterday morning I received a call from MC. When they did checks in the morning, they found my wife unresponsive, with blood coming out of her mouth. They had her taken by ambulance to the hospital. I met Jennifer, our daughter, at the hospital. Wife seemed to be doing pretty well. She was alert, knew everybody, and knew…
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An introduction
Hi all, I’ve recently joined this forum and you can’t imagine how much help your posts have been. My DH of 44 yrs. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 20 years ago, and we have struggled with managing that disease, especially the depression phases. Now he has developed mild cognitive impairment, with intermittent…
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questions about hospice(1)
I am having a difficult time taking care of my 92 yr old DH who has moderate dementia. He also has had Crohn's disease for 45 years and is on medication. Tonight he had a bathroom blowout all over the bathroom floor, himself, overflowing Depends etc. I put him in the shower and before he got into the shower he had another…
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The Road to Hell....
...is paved with dementia.
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Shocked and Sad
I was so surprised today when DH did not know we’ve been together for 36 years, didn’t know we lived together and asked me what my back story was. It just seems so early. He’s driving, up on current events, etc. In so freaked out by this.
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Current altered reality
While this experience has been horrific, I am a naturally curious sort who can find fascination in everything. I really try to understand the world as she sees it. She knows who I am but I have 4 different identities in her world. She was diagnosed a year and a half ago but thinking back there was some unexplained weird…
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Kind People
We are having our fireplace refaced. My HWD has been fascinated watching them work. The tiler set him up to set the center tile (photo attached). This is the kind of person I strive to be.
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Somewhat off topic: Roadtrip!
So, I have previously posted that my wife has been living in MC since last September. 10 months now. She seems stable; no med adjustments for several weeks and she seems content, and I know she is safe, clean, and well fed. So I am heading off to Utah from the Northeast by car. I will be staying with friends and family in…
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Medical vs Behavioral Health Insurance
Does anyone else have health insurance handled separately by medical vs behavioral? And it's only an issue because my providers don't belong to an in-network insurance. Anyhow, after behavioral denied my claim for initial psychological evaluation and subsequent therapy consultation with a diagnosis of "Degenerative disease…
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Does the shadowing ever end?
I’m so worn out by my DH following me around literally everywhere, asking a million questions- when does this end? I know you all know how exhausting this is. Can you tell me if it will subside?
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30th Anniversary & reflection
Today is our 30th anniversary, so I thought it was a good time to give an update. DH has been in memory care for 16 weeks. He adjusted much easier and faster than I ever expected. About 2 months in, his behaviors there started to get a bit worse and he went for a 10 day stay at a psych hospital for med adjustment. I wish…
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You may be interested in this person.
Lori La Bey has many great resources for all folks related to dementia. Please feel free to share. The Video is live now https://youtu.be/RMwUpWzvbsg Here is the link to the event on Dementia Map…
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Venting(4)
I'm venting today as I need to. Not for sympathy but to just let my anger flow out of me. DH has had some bad days -- delusions, anxiety, stress and anger. He hits a point where he gets so wound up that he has IBS like bowel movements. This morning was the morning for it to happen. And I almost lost it in more ways than…
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DH still in hospital
I posted that DH was so agitated angry and aggressive I had to call 911. That was June 9 almost 3 weeks ago. He stayed in a "holding area" in the ER waiting to be placed in a geri psych ward 5 nights in one hospital and 3 more nights after he was transferred to Boston. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday June 17.…
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My FB post on Walk for the Cure
Here it is. Perhaps you can join me to raise awareness of caregivers’ plight by using social media to educate and apply pressure. It is shameful that dementia caregivers are so poorly supported in this country. Alzheimer’s Association: wonderful goal, but far off. Please read your site’s caregiver forums to see how we…
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Another of the greatest generation passes
As a pastor in a small community, I met and learned alot from those folks who went thru some of the worst times in history. I am posting her obituary here. I will miss her. I think her story is so filled with adversity, but she was always cheerful and had a beautiful laugh. Maria Denisenkaite Spiva was born on January 29,…
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We need more people like him
The man who owns the funeral home where my wife will be has had the business for many years, locally. Several years ago, he decided to sell to a large company, and continued to work as an employee for them. But after seeing how they treated the grieving families, financially, he decided to open another funeral home, about…
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So what's it like ?
Well meaning friends and family will ask what is it like living with a wife who has dementia? I used to start to explain but knew I wouldn't finish before they lose interest and want to move on to how they have a great idea that they think may help. I pretty much have condensed the answer to "There are good days and bad…
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Treating New Medical Condition
My H diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014, well into Stage 6, anosognosia, irritable, etc. Able to dress, bath, eat food prepared-when the mood strikes and remembers anything he is told for less than a minute. I make decisions based on "Is this a hill I want to die on today?" At 71yrs he suddenly has very high ferritin…