Over the past 8 years, my family has been dealing with symptoms of Alzheimer's in my Mom who has now 86. Initially, with her forgetfulness and not recognizing someone immediately, we thought, you know he is getting old; she is entitled not to being right every now and then, heaven knows we forget from time to time ourselves. But the frequency of these signs started occurring on a regular basis. My Mom was initially taken to a geriatric psychiatrist on the inside NH where she existed. The Dr. prescribed an almost drug called Aricept, the one you see most of the time on TV commercials. This drug with its popularity sounded promising, but after a couple years of trying this medication, there were no significant symptoms of improvement. She also suffered many of the side effects associated of this medication i. e. dizziness, upset stomach, nausea, trouble eating, and sleeping disturbances.
In 2005, my Mom desperately needed Knee Replacement Surgery on her outright knee. The operation proved helpful; however, there was a drastic change in my Mother's memory and behavior. The girl would hide her handbag and wallet, thinking everyone wanted to steal it. She could never remember which was hidden and would accuse households of taking it. In addition to the stealing and hiding, she became very paranoid. She needed all the window shades drawn and also the outside doors locked late in the way afternoon everyday. The degree of anxiety and agitation she displayed became more increased. She would get up and down from her chair to check the windows and locks and repeat herself again and again asking everyone if whenever doors were locked. In a matter of general, she was up and down and might never stay still for a whole. She was like in terms of the Ever Ready Bunny, i. e. she kept going and going. I was exhausted just watching her and i'm 35 years younger. She'd always been physically vivid walking and exercising. She took care of herself eating right, baked or broiled, chicken and fish and a lot of vegetables. She religiously took her vitamins and minerals supplements every morning having a bowl of homemade oatmeal sprinkled with bran in addition to all, a glass of ingredient prune and half oriental juice mixed together, yogurt and java.
My Mom was a conventional cook, making everything listed on scratch. Her nickname had been Betty, aka Betty Crocker, making sure there were three a comprehensive meals made everyday with desserts. These meals aren't your simple toast or even coffee. I am interacting bacon and eggs, homemade blueberry muffins, pancakes, homemade oatmeal, percolated coffee, roast beef sandwiches from the prior night's dinner for dinner with homemade soups, homemade cookies, then homemade spaghetti sauce and spaghetti for dinner with bread, salad and more desserts, like apple or blueberry pie with ice cream. For the holidays, she out did herself sending numerous cakes, pies, breads, cookies, fudge, and other various desserts along with all the main meal's homemade zones. She made enough food to include an army, our loved ones, friends and neighbors. If you can believe it, we were all pencil thin, the prior for sure. This cooking exercise happened to be my Mom's regular routine for more than 60 years until Alzheime'rs disease hit. At that ingredient, she had difficulty remembering how to make a peanut butter so because of this jelly sandwich. Also as part of my Mom's regular outlet, she cleaned, cleaned and find out cleaned, using Ammonia, Clorox, Pinesol, Lysol, Windex moreover Pledge. Did your love one use any of these products? I sometimes wonder if there is a link with the merchandise or a combination thereof and Alzheimer's. Or is there a correlation over the bleached sugar used in all the desserts we ate? Or even the Crisco and butter?
Back to the surgery, a few year's after a surgery, I learned that offers being heavily sedated, i. e. under anesthesia can cause Alzheimer's to progress more rapidly. I had also heard in more recent years that if surgery is necessary in an Alzheimer's sufferer, inquire on whether or not a spinal block could suffice or if you do have various levels of what about anesthesia ?, maybe a lower measure. My Mom required a different knee replacement in '08. This surgery advanced the Alzheimer's to an almost uncontrollable state with full-on hallucinations and delusions, screaming fits. My Mom after a medical procedure didn't believe she is at a hospital or your dog had been through surgical procedure. With all the wires and monitors, she deemed someone had pulled a female house apart and felt like doing construction. She screamed that she was going to sue for wrecking linda house. She yanked out her IV and next tried her catheter. While in the hospital, 24/7 nurse bed watch desired. I believe that or even pain medication OxyContin brought on by her crazy uncontrollable actions. We had never seen her with this psychotic state. That medication in my mind was not for linda. After being released of an hospital and into standard nursing rehabilitation center, she gained control of some of her senses but not over. A doctor at having a rehabilitation facility introduced a lot of sedating medication like Seroquel and at Lorazepam. Her downtime from this surgery seemed miraculous. She was capable of walking almost instantaneously without any pain. I believe that the new sony Alzheimer's numbed that part of the brain in charge to do with pain, no brain no pain. My Mom continued forth low doses of Lorazepam,. 5 mg and Seroquel, 25-30 mg. These medications were designed to quiet her symptoms of each one agitation and anxiety which occurred late in the way afternoon and early working day. These symptoms later became known to us as the Alzheime'rs disease symptoms for sundowning. Going from light regarding any dark triggers a reaction equipped brain that causes turmoil.
For the next 365 days, my Mom's legs energized, but her mind and that he behavior declined. The decline may also be attributed to insufficient dating life. I have been told that dating life for Alzheimer patients can be hugely beneficial and therapeutic, adult daycare centers specializing in Alzheimer's is a good avenue to pursue. Seek daycares that have programs involving physical course of action, mind games, eye, hand coordination activities e. g. arts and crafts. Basically, ensure that the facility has some type of security or wander band should your loved one become confused and vanish.
My Mom, on the flip side, was being watched by just one family member so because of this received limited visitors. In regards to a March 2009, my younger brother and i became jointly responsible to get the best my Mom's health which at that time, I brought her to improve CA. I was eager to have her here, because I felt that California's medical care surpassed that in several other states. My belief is based upon our elderly amount. We have a greater population considering that our weather and settings size. CA also has as much doctors of any state for this size. I am also flanked by many retirement communities.
One notable event that occurred while soaring from Boston to Shedd Angles, half-way through human being flight, my Mom switched out. What I shows that is, she started screaming, swearing, kicking, hitting and find out pulling my hair. She quit her seat and come aggressively charging towards extraordinary. She thought she reaches a job that she held more than just twenty years ago. She wanted to speak to the bosses because she never knew where all the products went they'd made. With the assistance of a lot of 4 flight attendants and paging physician, my Mom was brought back to her seat but wouldn't sit down; they walked her up and down the aisle to longanimity her. My Mom carried on for the rest of the flight and after we started approaching Los Angeles, she would not sit down found in landing. The doctor, a basic geriatric psychiatrist seating diagonal to us helped in order to complete seat her. We each held her down as well as landing. The flight attendants desired to use a straight shirt. I was never as well scared or embarrassed. I thought my Mom would sleep the whole flight since I select a direct evening flight.
After this episode and finally returning home and digging up settled, I did my research to find programs available for people with Alzheimer's. I had the items to speak with a Course Director at our local Adult Senior Daycare Cardiovascular system. The woman I spoke to provided me with names and telephone levels of medical resources to contact to get my Mom evaluated. Before now time, no one own medically evaluated her. The girl went to the doctor's every many months and family members asked her condition, but there was no real testing. The arranging would probably last 15 minutes tops every 6 months to a year. No one ever explained anything to us or what direction we ought to go. There was little if any Alzheimer's map. Now, the next set of events was virtually all valuable and sped the finding of a successful treatment plan in a matter of a few months.
1. The girl went to a Neurologist who ordered that a MRI, blood work, and a genetic test be performed and was the Apolipoprotein E Genotype. There is a genetic marker that appears to prevalent in most individuals who have Alzheimer's, it could be all patients but I don't remember exactly. If you're tested for this pistol, and have it, it doesn't mean that you will have Alzheimer's if I figured the Doctor's explanation well, so double check if you have it done. If you've got a parent with Alzheimer's, you have a 50/50 chance of enduring the Alzheimer's too.
2. The Neurologist also had an internal Medicine doctor perform a complete memory test. This test was the vast majority intensive and longer than what is called the Folstein Mini Mind Test. The Folstein Test is a good test to try at home and as a doctor's follow up evaluation. I found this join the program below that had a good example of the Folstein test.
http: //www. utmb. edu/psychology/PRT_Courses/ClinPsych04/Mentalst. htm
3. Once all the tests results were planned for, my Mom was mounted on several prescription medications to begin the trial and error process to determine which medication(s) is correct best. Medications work differently and each person. It was also explained to me that my Mom could possibly Lewy Body, and not really Alzheimer's. The words Lewy Pores and skin were completely foreign for me. What the heck endured Lewy Body? Lewy Body has over a hallucinations and sleep disorders along with other symptoms and falls for those Parkinson family. A definitive diagnosis can not be made, unless a brain autopsy is performed upon death.
4. The girl was initially prescribed Namenda, Exelon, COQ10 (400 mg) and a low dosage of Seroquel. The Doctor had said it would take awhile for the medications to get into her system and take affect prior to the result could be thought. For the next so often, I thought I got Dr. Jeckal and Mr. Hyde living with as i. My Mom didn't good sleep, she thought my Dad was still living and she would scream "Where is it? " She thought my 50 year old brother was 6 due to the Mumps and would shout "Where did he do any, he is very sick having a high fever? " Ever few minutes I became a different person to her. She would ask "Where did the other person go that was effectively here? " You could never convince her that you are the same person. Or that a kids were all developed. She lives in background when she was a child and her Mom had been alive. My Grandmother has been dead for over 50 years. My Mom would visit my son's room and ask him where his parents were and ways in which could they leave your own here. She told him to avoid eating the food it felt like poisoned. My Mom in no way slept, which meant Did not sleep. My house has variety stairs so I grew nervous my Mom would wake up and go roaming and perchance fall. I slept in close proximity to her or tried. The girl would put clothes during the period of her pajamas when she got dressed. I became so frazzled you'd probably have thought I was the patient. I finally called the Doctor after a couple weeks and conveyed everything so as to him. He said a thing or two were symptoms of Alzheimer's and some were side effects of the medications. Now how was I suppose to know what was what. I asked if your sweetheart could be checked proper facility where they could monitor the various introductions of medications and behaviors to come up with which ones would conduct themselves. When he said yes , definitely, that was all I'd personally to hear.
5. The hospital facility has a unit that is for the sole intent being assessing a dementia patient and deriving at a treatment plan. This unit contains a team of Specialists, Internal Medicine Doctors, Social Workers, Physical Therapists and that he Nurses. The Team runs on the small group of patients inside an assisted care type if you wish to environment. They have a date of daily events that the patients participate in. For example, there are exercises, art work, brain games and evening movies. The patient is observed 24/7 for a period of 2 weeks. Each week the team meets to talk about each patient's progress and whether or not the prescribed medications are widely-used or if medication modification ought.
6. A psychiatrist meets every day with each patient. The patients wear his / her normal street clothes and a wander bracelet for well-being. During the first 3 days of treatment; it is recommended that family group do not visit. The purpose of no visitation is to analyze the patient's true conduct. This type of program is needed and they are available in every city and state throughout America in a hospital. The program all it takes is patients 55 years old or even more. This particular Facility's program is required as the model to replicate everywhere.
7. At the conclusion of the 2 dawn stay, they were able to keep my Mom calm so she wasn't throughout and roaming all again and would sleep all night. My Mom even participated in some classes. She thought she was in school and asked that they she was getting your ex-girlfriend report card. The combination of medication this time around consisted of Namenda, Depakote, Lorazepam, Seroquel, this dosage went from 25 milligrams to a 300 mg time leaked out formula. Everything seemed to become going well until LEGALBUDS brought her home. She became very anxious and did not know who I was. She thought that I was poisoning everything and was going to kill her and our son. When she bathed, she couldn't believe meyer wasn't turning blue. She came out of the bathroom naked. She said the audience was going to be mad at linda. I immediately paged the doctor and had spoken to him a few times prior. At this ingredient, he said to decieve her back. When we attained the hospital, my Mom knew something was going on and didn't want to go in the building. She protected from me. The hospital is following a busy street so LEGALBUDS naturally panicked. After pretending, I was leaving, I got in the car and she got in. I drove to the back of the hospital where the team was waiting.
8. The girl stayed another 2 one month. During this time she obtained a drug called GEODON, 40 mg. After seeing her with this drug, I thought meyer was cured. She obtained acting normal, and coherent, and spoke logically. I couldn't believe it. This drug along over the prior medications in 4 seemed to deliver the results. My Mom acted common with me during the remainder of her stay with i really do in CA. In the middle of August 2009, I delivered her to St. Louis to stay with my brother. We share her jointly. I stayed in St. Louis for 2 weeks to ensure the transition would go gracefully.
Another noteworthy event had been the flight to St. Louis. My Mom began to act somewhat crazy. She wanted scissors to chop her seat belt so she could get out. She kept fidgeting trying to get it to release. I had placed her in a window seat and made her stay seated enough where we landed. I tried my personal to keep her distracted. Thank God we were near to landing. I think there are some things that happens with serotonin levels at high altitudes or under the condition of being in a squeezed air environment. I requested the doctors, but no one could answer. Maybe the air supply becomes thinner like whenever you climb a mountain. I believe there is a direct link with the brain and gives you Alzheimer's behavior so do not transport someone alone, like I did and if you can travel by ground achieve this.
9. Since my Mom has been in St. Louis and below my brother's care, she was approved as be eligible for a a trial research the medical field program for Eli Lilly. Which is approximately a 2 christmas time program. The test medication has gone through many prior lcd monitor trial programs. The programs have seen much success with over a drug. This drug attacks the plaque equipped brain and breaks it up. The plaque build-up is exactly what expert believe causes Alzheimer's. My Mom receives an infusion every month. We don't know whether or not she is the patient using the actual medication or a perfect placebo, but we believe that she is getting the new sony drug. After the infusion, she becomes very alert and frequently wakes up during the night. Since being on the trial program though she has lost over thirty pounds and has more or less stopped eating sufficient foods. She is consuming protein shakes that contain 25 grams of protein along with other vitamins and minerals, bananas, berries, vegetable powder, ice cream or yogurt. She drinks these twice daily along with drinking a few Ensures. We are not positive that her lack of appetite has to do with the medication, progression in the disease, or a change in her environment. Her Doctor is fine with her current kilograms. She keeps asking "When are we going home, my Mother is looking for me. " My Mom is blessed with incontinence and constipation and needs full assistance bathing and at dressing. She has fallen a few times due to not always having a walker to steady her gait.
In conclusion, is there any real cure? No. Is there a treatment method that can work? Yes, however, depending if you hold the one doctor one drug at any given time approach it may take a lifetime to be familiar with what works and can not work and you can result in the hospital from reduced. I recommend the team facility method of expedite results. If Alzheimer's runs in you family, make sure for just about any Durable Power of Attorney for Health insurance and Finance and a Can sometimes and Living Will set up early while you are still deemed competent to improve your health and finance. Also specify your dreams facility placement should your care become too overwhelming available for you or caregiver. If you've assets, you may rather gift them early for a heirs, the rule is 5 years or more to make them not taken for payment to get into a facility. There will also be rules to qualify related to Medicaid. If you are over the threshold but cannot pay 100% throughout regards to facility's monthly amount, Medicaid may kick in the difference which falls under spending money on the Medically Needy. Medicaid has monthly income along with asset thresholds. Check with your state to find out how much those amounts are. You can normally find these details online.
I have a web research that I created to ascertain if there is any correlation and too a person's environment, foods that he ate, cleaning fluids or chemicals they may have been exposed to. I am not physician or in medicine, but I feel that if I could see all the data, I may be able to determine if there tend to be any correlations with all of you, what is the common denominator. Doctors are working on curing Alzheimer's and not what is causing it. If you wants to participate with this exploration, please email me found at comments@herocardsinc. com. Or for people who have any questions or words of flattery, please feel free facilitate email me. As usually, let's thank our informal Heroes, our military, firefighters, police force and especially our doctors, nurses, paramedics, caregivers, etc. Thank you!!!! Hero Cards, Inc. ( http: //www. herocardsinc. com )
For a long list of Alzheimer's, please go on the web Alzheimer's Association website.
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