Rough moment

rzrbaxfan

My Mom, stage 6 hinting at 7, lives with me and my family.  We manage to do everything ourselves fine, but it's a handful.

My Mom has had a few nights in a row of decent sleep.  Most nights where she sleeps for more than 4 hours at a time, she wakes pretty foggy.  But this morning, she got up and for the first time she was piecing together that her memories weren't quite clear.  All this time she has talked about things inaccurately and never seemed to know it.  As long as she was talking happy, I rolled with it.  But today was different.  It was like she was trying to get her mind to do something and had the awareness to know it wasn't working.  We talked, I got her fed and got her meds but she is still a bit emotional.

Has anyone seen this before?  Does this sound normal?  Maybe a sign of something?

towhee

Your brain needs good sleep to function well. Maybe the better sleep temporarily made a slight difference. Good days and bad days are not unusual.

John2.0.1

I don't really know what stage my mom would be said to fall into. But she has a lot of hallucinations/delusions.

There are times when she is aware that she can't trust what her mind is telling her and she may be aware at that moment that a hallucination she is having is not real. If she wants to talk about it we do.

There are other times that she forgets that she can't trust what her mind is telling her and acts on her delusions/hallucinations.This is when she can really get herself into trouble.

M1

rzrbaxfan, my partner has occasional lucid moments when she knows she's off.  They are few but heartbreaking.  The last one she had, she asked me if her disease would be terminal.  It's like a lightbulb comes on for a few minutes, then flickers back out.

Then there are days like today when everything seems to be going south, really fast.  She had an appointment today with her rheumatologist who's treated her for 15+ years, and she didn't remember him.  She told me she'd like to meet my children, who are 30 and 31.  She's known them since they were 2 and 4.  Makes me want to cry.

abc123

My mom would occasionally have an awareness that she was off. She’d get very upset and she’d tell me she didn’t know where she was and that she had no memory. She’d ask me what was wrong with her and then ask a lot of other questions such as where do I live now, how long have I been here? I’d answer the most comforting way possible and I’d reassure her that she was safe. I’d tell her it was okay if she couldn’t remember somethings because I remembered for her. During these episodes she would roam thru the house room by room, each closet and drawer. I would go with her from room to room. I really believe she was trying to find something familiar, something to find comfort with. I witnessed this behavior twice at her house and once at my house. Both times, my dad was away.  I’m not sure if his absence had something to do with it or not. I have not witnessed her having clarity in about the past three years. My dad will be gone the first two weeks of August. This will be the first time I stay with her alone since she became fully incontinent. I am very anxious about this trip.

Hatedementia

Those were very disturbing events for us ...  it happened from time to time.   It is like they know something is wrong, are afraid....   I can only imagine what they might experience.    I think best to try to say anything to make them feel more comfortable in that moment.   Sadly, they passed quickly.    There were moments that were very sweet also ...  where in that minute I knew our LO was there with us if just a moment in time.      I hate Alz.     Sigh.     Just go one minute at a time ....  you are blessed to be able to manage her in your home this far into the disease process...  we had anger and outbursts and could not...

rzrbaxfan

Thank you all for the replies.  I just read each one carefully and it is helpful and comforting to know I'm not alone.

I did calmly explain to her that this is why she is here with us and that we are taking care of her and that there is nothing to fear.  She took a nap and woke up with her usual behavior.

We had family time today...a 3 year old's birthday...and that helped her as well.  She had a fun conversation railing about how her daughter (my sister) never visits and she was having this very frank and open conversation one on one WITH MY SISTER!!  Later, dear sister talked to me about how hard that was, and I told her 1.  She talks about me to me every day and I just roll on and 2. Mom isn't wrong.  My sister has visited 3 times since last October and hardly speaks to Mom when she is here.

Anyway, thanks again for the replies.  Keep fighting on everyone!

sunnydove

This SO rarely happens to my mom. She is also stage 6. When she does seem to be aware of her confusion I usually just say something like, "that's ok! I get confused all the time too! It's nothing to be worried about. Anything you need help with, just ask me and I'll help you out!" I let her know it's okay and that I've got it all under control and that seems to satisfy and calm her.

rzrbaxfan

Similar strategy here.  I use few words, but say the same thing every time.  It's funny to hear her talk to people and say those exact words.  

We went to a funeral recently.  I walked her to a seat and said "I'll come back for you after the service" (I had to go be a paul bearer).  Folks asked if she needed help getting up and she said "I'm waiting for my son,  He's coming back for me after the service"...and she didn't get up until I got back to her.  

Jude4037

My husband has had times where he knew things were not right and sometimes he was very sad and said he didn’t want to live that way. Im alway sympathetic and say,” you are doing the best you can and so am I. No one should ask or expect more from us then that.,” That seems to calm him. It’s those times that are so sad. Sometimes when he has been raging I look so hard into his eyes trying to see a glimmer of the man he used to be and he’s just not there. I miss him so much.