Jim went for imaging of his brain. My explanation that it was a screening for those over 65 was accepted by him. I was ready with my companion card, and very glad that I brought it with me.
At check-in, there were several forms to fill out and sign. I filled out the forms, but when it came time to sign, Jim struggled. He managed to write his first name (hardly recognizable) and then turned to me and said "Will you do this for me?". I showed the POA to the receptionist, and then signed the forms for Jim. This was heartbreaking for me. At times like this, I wonder how it makes him feel. Does he realize that this is not normal? Or is he so focused on the difficulty of the task that he is just grateful that I am there to help him.
The imaging confirmed the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. I was not surprised, but still, it is shocking in some ways. After all this time, you wouldn't think so. But I still sometimes wonder how all of this became our reality.
Jim's anxiety is much better. The citalopram has worked well for him. There have been several instances that typically would result in high anxiety and anger. Now, his reaction is much more subdued. What a relief!
The one caveat is that while it helps with anxious situations at home, situations outside the home are still capable of producing anxiety. So I continue to be careful with where we go, keeping the time away from home short, and avoiding noisy, busy environments.
He is on the highest safe dose of the citalopram; maximum benefit will be evident within the next 2 -3 weeks. I'm very grateful for the improvement I've seen so far. When I think back to how things were just prior to starting the medication, the difference is astounding.
Jim still does not tolerate me being away from him. He has been less tolerant of lunch with Mike, or even a visit from Mike. My thinking is that as Jim's deficits increase, he feels less secure away from me. My good friend Jan has given me lots of encouragement and some good advice on options to explore, as I try to figure out ways to make time for myself away from the home.
I've written before that Jim sleeps a lot. The amount of time he sleeps seems to be increasing. During the day when he naps, I take full advantage of the time. In the evening he goes to bed about 7:30. Although he usually will come out of the bedroom every 10 minutes or so, just to check on me. He is the most confused in the evening. Lately he has been incorporating what he sees on TV into his reality. Last night we were watching the news about the latest Trump scandal, and Jim said "Trump said that to me yesterday."
Language skills continue to decline. But I am getting better at interpreting what he needs. Sometimes he pantomimes, gestures or points while speaking, which helps a lot. Sometimes he makes a declarative sentence that makes no sense at all. When he does that, a neutral response by me helps prevent frustration for both of us.
I've written before that I never correct Jim if he says something that is wrong or inaccurate. The exceptions are if it is something of danger, or if it is of great importance. Something I have been thinking about are the times when Jim does not remember who I am. Should I correct him on this? Is it really important? I think it is, especially if he is worried or upset.
One evening last week, he didn't know where he was, how he got here, and "Where is Carole?". He was so distraught, it made sense at the time to gently orient him. At some point I suggested we just go to sleep and talk about everything in the morning. Of course in the morning he had no recollection of our conversation from the night before.
The land of dementia. No one wants to be here. But here we are. Smack dab in the middle of it. Making the best of it, finding our way, and learning as we go.
Thanks for stopping by. My heart feels lighter. I appreciate each one of you!
Friday, May 19, 2017
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
"I'm Carole, version 1 - 10."
As I have written before, Jim does not always remember who I am. Sometimes it is fairly easy to help him remember, other times it is a bit more of a challenge.
It was after dinner, and he was concerned:
"Where is Carole?"
Me: "I'm Carole. I'm right here."
Jim: "No, I mean the other Carole."
Me: "Well, I am Carole, version 1 - 10."
We both laughed. I took what could have been a stressful moment and managed to turn it around with humor. I'm not always that successful, but I do find that a good dose of humor goes a long way in soothing the troubled waters.
We don't go to restaurants anymore. It is just too stressful. The difficulty with the menu, the noise, the people, the lighting. It just isn't worth it. The other night it occurred to me that we could order takeout from the local Chinese place, pick it up and bring it home to eat. Jim thought it was a great idea. We settled on what we were going to order, I made the call, and we headed out the door to pick it up.
It was a short, five minute ride. In those 5 minutes, Jim became quite upset. He insisted he did not agree to the plan, and angry because "You should have checked with me before ordering food!" We picked up the food, and I ended up throwing it away. He was so upset by the incident, it just seemed like I needed to get it out of site. I quickly threw something else together for dinner. He seemed to calm down.
About an hour after dinner he became upset. "Can't a person get any food around here? Where is dinner?" He had no recollection that we had already eaten. And so it goes. I think the anxiety from the takeout food incident was still circulating in his brain.
Overall, since starting on the citalopram for his anxiety I believe that he is doing better. At least this holds mostly true for when we are at home, with no distractions and nothing out of the ordinary. He still becomes quite anxious with anticipation of any plans, appointments, any changes etc.
Activity outside the house is always vulnerable to an upset. The full effect of the citalopram may take another 4 - 5 weeks. So perhaps his anxiety will improve further. But at the same time, I realize that nothing will make everything OK all the time. Dementia just doesn't work that way. There will always be challenges.
When I look over the past year I realize that Jim has lost a lot of ground over a relatively short period of time. There are a lot of theories out there to explain the differences between dementia that progresses more slowly, versus dementia that progress more rapidly.
This link has been quite helpful in preparing me for what to expect. When I look back, I realize that a year ago he was in stage 4. He is now in the beginning of stage 6.
Language has been more challenging for him, and I continue my strategy of responding with a neutral response when he says something I don't understand.
Today he wanted me to "find the staff". He also wanted me to "take care of the trees". I responded by saying "Is it OK if I do that tomorrow morning?" He was quite receptive to this delay. And of course he will have no recollection of this conversation.
Jim's receptiveness to Mike is intermittent. I never plan for time to myself, because I never know if Jim will be agreeable to spending time with Mike. Those few times when Jim has spent time with Mike have been nothing short of wonderful for me. I'm hoping that as time passes, the full effect of the citalopram will help Jim to be able to enjoy more time with Mike.
Jim is scheduled for a CT of his brain this Thursday. How do I get him there? Well, I've told him that all people 65 and older are encouraged to be screened for vascular disease. I told him that I've already had the test, and that the doctor would be scheduling one for him too. When I told him this, he thought it was a good idea. I won't bring it up again until the morning of the appointment. I hope he goes, and that it is not too stressful for him. I'm ready with my companion cards, and I will also write on the card that loud voices are upsetting to him. I'm also realistic in that he may not agree to go, or may become so anxious that it is not worth doing. We'll see. Either way is OK with me.
My top priority these days is to keep Jim happy and content. Every week that passes I get better at it, as I am always learning from Jim how best to help him through this next stage of his life.
Another post is written. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for listening. I so appreciate each one of you.
It was after dinner, and he was concerned:
"Where is Carole?"
Me: "I'm Carole. I'm right here."
Jim: "No, I mean the other Carole."
Me: "Well, I am Carole, version 1 - 10."
We both laughed. I took what could have been a stressful moment and managed to turn it around with humor. I'm not always that successful, but I do find that a good dose of humor goes a long way in soothing the troubled waters.
We don't go to restaurants anymore. It is just too stressful. The difficulty with the menu, the noise, the people, the lighting. It just isn't worth it. The other night it occurred to me that we could order takeout from the local Chinese place, pick it up and bring it home to eat. Jim thought it was a great idea. We settled on what we were going to order, I made the call, and we headed out the door to pick it up.
It was a short, five minute ride. In those 5 minutes, Jim became quite upset. He insisted he did not agree to the plan, and angry because "You should have checked with me before ordering food!" We picked up the food, and I ended up throwing it away. He was so upset by the incident, it just seemed like I needed to get it out of site. I quickly threw something else together for dinner. He seemed to calm down.
About an hour after dinner he became upset. "Can't a person get any food around here? Where is dinner?" He had no recollection that we had already eaten. And so it goes. I think the anxiety from the takeout food incident was still circulating in his brain.
Overall, since starting on the citalopram for his anxiety I believe that he is doing better. At least this holds mostly true for when we are at home, with no distractions and nothing out of the ordinary. He still becomes quite anxious with anticipation of any plans, appointments, any changes etc.
Activity outside the house is always vulnerable to an upset. The full effect of the citalopram may take another 4 - 5 weeks. So perhaps his anxiety will improve further. But at the same time, I realize that nothing will make everything OK all the time. Dementia just doesn't work that way. There will always be challenges.
When I look over the past year I realize that Jim has lost a lot of ground over a relatively short period of time. There are a lot of theories out there to explain the differences between dementia that progresses more slowly, versus dementia that progress more rapidly.
This link has been quite helpful in preparing me for what to expect. When I look back, I realize that a year ago he was in stage 4. He is now in the beginning of stage 6.
Language has been more challenging for him, and I continue my strategy of responding with a neutral response when he says something I don't understand.
Today he wanted me to "find the staff". He also wanted me to "take care of the trees". I responded by saying "Is it OK if I do that tomorrow morning?" He was quite receptive to this delay. And of course he will have no recollection of this conversation.
Jim's receptiveness to Mike is intermittent. I never plan for time to myself, because I never know if Jim will be agreeable to spending time with Mike. Those few times when Jim has spent time with Mike have been nothing short of wonderful for me. I'm hoping that as time passes, the full effect of the citalopram will help Jim to be able to enjoy more time with Mike.
Jim is scheduled for a CT of his brain this Thursday. How do I get him there? Well, I've told him that all people 65 and older are encouraged to be screened for vascular disease. I told him that I've already had the test, and that the doctor would be scheduling one for him too. When I told him this, he thought it was a good idea. I won't bring it up again until the morning of the appointment. I hope he goes, and that it is not too stressful for him. I'm ready with my companion cards, and I will also write on the card that loud voices are upsetting to him. I'm also realistic in that he may not agree to go, or may become so anxious that it is not worth doing. We'll see. Either way is OK with me.
My top priority these days is to keep Jim happy and content. Every week that passes I get better at it, as I am always learning from Jim how best to help him through this next stage of his life.
Another post is written. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for listening. I so appreciate each one of you.
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