This blog is about life with my husband who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's and Frontal Lobe Dementia in 2008. He was 64 at the time although now, knowing more about the disease, Alzheimer's was present many, many years ago, which is why early detection is so important. As you read the blog the character "Al" that I created in 2008, represents the way that Alzheimer's is invading our daily lives.
There is an archive tab further down the page that starts from the beginning of our journey.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Living with Bob and "Al"

Sheri needs to admit that the "the boys" are not as zombie like as she expected. You can see they are drugged, and hazy eyed, but "they are still some what mobile and verbal. Obviously not sensibly verbal... but there is still some life in "them". Sheri thinks the care the doctor took in adjusting his meds is what has prevented total zombie-ism (is that a word?)  Sheri would encourage everyone to watch the videos she shared the link to a couple of days ago, and make sure the doctor treating your loved one has the same dedication to preserving as much function as possible. She knows this is short lived but she will take it.
Sheri is going to pause , praise and pray.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update. Yes, the link was extremely informative. Such good, clear explanation of medications by Dr. What a resource that hospital is. Not there yet, but saved the link. One day I may need to remind myself and inform the family. :) Marie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very helpful as our loved one was sent for psychiatric evaluation and new/increased medication due to aggressive behaviors towards staff and other residents in the memory care facility. I so wish for peace for him...this is no life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you very much for posting the link to that video, Sheri. It was very clear. Just so you know, after several months of extreme agitation, and a total of 12 weeks in two different geri-psych units, my husband has now been in his present residence (a skilled nursing facility) since last May, and is mostly calm, even cheerful, and seems to enjoy much of his life. He remains somewhat agitated around personal care issues, but the well-trained staff are good at redirecting, giving him space and allowing him to move at his own pace, even if that means going to sleep at 1:00 or 2:00am and sleeping through the morning. His care plan is detailed, comprehensive, and frequently referred to. He is a much happier man than he was during the last year or so that he was living at home. Interestingly, the hardest part for him, and for me, was when he realised that I was no longer 'on call' to mediate between him and an increasingly fragmented and confusing world. His fury was hard to contain, and very hard to witness. But, he has resources, as we all do, and pulled through the stormy waters to calmer ones.....

    ReplyDelete