Saturday, September 06, 2008
This morning after brushing Donna's teeth, she stated to be "I'm getting better, aren't I ?" I couldn't hold back the tears. We went out to look at garage sales, she got bored in an hour and we came back home.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Donna and I did the usual morning routine. Get up, eat breakfast, floss teeth, brush teeth and then jog. I am a pro at flossing and brushing her teeth. We drove around to garage sales, which she usually enjoys. I bought her a Snow Globe Music Box with a Unicorn in it and a stuffed Polar Bear. Again I had trouble with her taking her Depakote pill. She chewed it up instead of swallowing it.
Monday, September 08, 2008
This morning Donna was again thinking of her Grandmother who raised her. She has been deceased for over 10 years. I was thinking about video taping her, but I feel uncomfortable doing it. I have a lot of trouble getting Donna to eat with a fork, she always ends up using her hands. She is thin and needs to eat. She likes ice cream, and I give her as much as she wants. She weighs 85 lbs and I do not want her to lose anymore weight. I had her watch movies in her room while I worked downstairs. It is hard for her to concentrate on anything. After the movie was over, Donna got mad at me because I can't devote the attention she wants. I work at home, and it is extremely tough to run a business and take care of Donna without help. Mondays are always a troublesome. After a short argument, we agreed for her to try out "adult day care". I will speak to Renee, regarding this tomorrow.
Our Wedding in 1982
Donna Love's Ice Cream
2 comments:
I saw your blog site from ouralzheimers site. About the drug aricept, it is not as same as the estrogen thing. Aricept won't cause cancer. If it works, it would delay the symptoms about 6 months to 1 year or even 3 years if it works very well. Usually aricept and namenda are used together. Unless Donna cannot tolerate the drugs in her body, these drugs are very good for Alzheimer's. My father-in-law had had namenda and exelon for 1 year and half and it worked. But he cannot take them anymore due to his old age 88.(He cannot tolerate aricept as it made him lose appetite.)
take care,
Nina
I have watched my mum deteriorate over the past two years, always suspecting some form of dementia because the rate of decline in her memory has been to my eyes relatively rapid. Just today she has been diagnosed with early/mid stage alzheimers and has been prescribed aracept as well as a mild antidepressant? She has been living in a retirement village and has not adjusted well to the communal life. We have decided to buy a house together with me opting to be her primary caregiver. I work full time at the moment but am gearing up to a gradual transition to working from home using skills I have in the natural therapy field, particularly massage and nutrition. As you can imagine I am reluctant to begin full meds until I know what side effects they will have on her but am also concerned that delaying them may also make them less effective in the long run. So much to learn! Anyway I firmly believe that offering mum a loving family environment, where she feels safe and cared for will make this frightening transition for her a little less scary. I do hope that things work out well for you Dave, and that Donna's "memory decline" is a gentle one for you both. Thankyou for your frankness, it has been the most honest snapshot of what I have chosen as my path for the near future. Yours sincerely
Mary
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