Guest guest Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hi Norma- How is your mom doing? Did you get any answers as to if the swelling in her esophagus will go down? How is the PEG feeding going? Thinking of you and your mom- Sandie Des Moines, IA dad, Merle, passed away from LBD 9-20-02, age 65 mum, Jo, (MIL) passed away from LBD 4-29-07, age 78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hi Sandie, Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just great to have her home. " Sandie/ " <sanclown@... m> To Sent by: <LBDcaregivers > LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Norma 01/11/2008 08:25 AM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Hi Norma- How is your mom doing? Did you get any answers as to if the swelling in her esophagus will go down? How is the PEG feeding going? Thinking of you and your mom- Sandie Des Moines, IA dad, Merle, passed away from LBD 9-20-02, age 65 mum, Jo, (MIL) passed away from LBD 4-29-07, age 78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2008 Report Share Posted January 22, 2008 Norma -- need a status update on your mom... > > > Hi Sandie, > > Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro > doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him > again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. > (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, > besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her > applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and > she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and > will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the > moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now > talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. > And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much > this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that > Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared > for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at > this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week > to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just > great to have her home. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Mom is hanging in there, taking one day at a time, comfortably sleeping in her bed. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day or so--just like her wonderful cat, Buddy, who stays on the bed next to her. After coming home from an 8-day stay at the hospital (she's home almost two weeks), the MRSA staph infection is clear (though it never really all goes away). She was on so many strong antibiotics. Thankfully, we're finished with those. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital from not having any nutrition for over a week. We are now feeding her 3x a day through the PEG feeding tube and that is going well. She got diarrehea and the nurse who visits wanted to put her in the hospital. I said " no " and my sister agreed and I called to ask doctors' opinions. She was put on Flagil and we switched from Pivot to Ensure Plus which has helped. (Pivot is similar to Ensure but has twice the amount of protein--to help with her pressure sore, which is healing nicely). She also got Thrush in her mouth from the antibiotics. The REALLY good news is that the Thrush disappeared as soon as the doctor prescribed a pill that you take just ONCE. (Then there are tablets to dissolve in the mouth for a few days.) And the diarrehea is gone. Though her inflamed esophagus may be a little better (don't know), I don't think she'd be able to continually swallow in the condition she is in right now (though I may be wrong). Maybe we'll give her another swallowing test in a few weeks. As a funny aside, it seems the doctor didn't say the swelling in the esophagus was not " fixable " (I thought he said not " solvable " --through my sister). He actually said not " soluble " --meaning not being able to dissolve or, as the other definition says, " relaxed or readily opened. " She has begun to talk again (mostly calmly to herself) and she had her eyes open for a couple of hours the other night. She's able to answer a question or two at times and amazingly gave me a little kiss again. She's really something! She's really in a healing/calming state right now. She's seems peaceful and without pain. The one blessing of this disease is that the part of the brain that keeps them from knowing things, also keeps them from feeling pain, it seems. I am having her put on a hospice-at-home program this week. I think it will help us with the next steps. My sister (who lives locally) and I have been talking a few times a day since Mom's hospitalization and things are working well. And my other sister came up from Florida this weekend and we were all together with Mom for over an hour (first time in a few years), per my suggestion. I'm thankful they agreed. But Mom slept! She probably said to herself, " let them talk to each other instead of to me. " I am going to go away for a few days this weekend (to Sanibel Island to meet two close friends--one from Maine and the other from Chicago). We meet once a year. I was waiting to see how Mom was doing, and I think I feel OK about going. Sorry I wrote so much, but it just kept coming. . . " " <octoryrose@yahoo .com> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Norma 01/22/2008 06:44 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Norma -- need a status update on your mom... > > > Hi Sandie, > > Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro > doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him > again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. > (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, > besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her > applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and > she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and > will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the > moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now > talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. > And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much > this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that > Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared > for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at > this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week > to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just > great to have her home. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Norma, Do you know what the name of the med was that you gave your Mom for Thrush? When I had Mom they tried to make her swish and spit and it never did work. I haven't heard of A pill you could give for this but it might be good for us to know what it is you gave her. Thanks, and hugs, Donna R Caregave for Mom (after I brought her from WI to MI) for 3 years and 4th year in a nh. She was almost 89 when she died in '02. No dx other than mine. Re: Re: Norma Mom is hanging in there, taking one day at a time, comfortably sleeping in her bed. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day or so--just like her wonderful cat, Buddy, who stays on the bed next to her. After coming home from an 8-day stay at the hospital (she's home almost two weeks), the MRSA staph infection is clear (though it never really all goes away). She was on so many strong antibiotics. Thankfully, we're finished with those. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital from not having any nutrition for over a week. We are now feeding her 3x a day through the PEG feeding tube and that is going well. She got diarrehea and the nurse who visits wanted to put her in the hospital. I said " no " and my sister agreed and I called to ask doctors' opinions. She was put on Flagil and we switched from Pivot to Ensure Plus which has helped. (Pivot is similar to Ensure but has twice the amount of protein--to help with her pressure sore, which is healing nicely). She also got Thrush in her mouth from the antibiotics. The REALLY good news is that the Thrush disappeared as soon as the doctor prescribed a pill that you take just ONCE. (Then there are tablets to dissolve in the mouth for a few days.) And the diarrehea is gone. Though her inflamed esophagus may be a little better (don't know), I don't think she'd be able to continually swallow in the condition she is in right now (though I may be wrong). Maybe we'll give her another swallowing test in a few weeks. As a funny aside, it seems the doctor didn't say the swelling in the esophagus was not " fixable " (I thought he said not " solvable " --through my sister). He actually said not " soluble " --meaning not being able to dissolve or, as the other definition says, " relaxed or readily opened. " She has begun to talk again (mostly calmly to herself) and she had her eyes open for a couple of hours the other night. She's able to answer a question or two at times and amazingly gave me a little kiss again. She's really something! She's really in a healing/calming state right now. She's seems peaceful and without pain. The one blessing of this disease is that the part of the brain that keeps them from knowing things, also keeps them from feeling pain, it seems. I am having her put on a hospice-at-home program this week. I think it will help us with the next steps. My sister (who lives locally) and I have been talking a few times a day since Mom's hospitalization and things are working well. And my other sister came up from Florida this weekend and we were all together with Mom for over an hour (first time in a few years), per my suggestion. I'm thankful they agreed. But Mom slept! She probably said to herself, " let them talk to each other instead of to me. " I am going to go away for a few days this weekend (to Sanibel Island to meet two close friends--one from Maine and the other from Chicago). We meet once a year. I was waiting to see how Mom was doing, and I think I feel OK about going. Sorry I wrote so much, but it just kept coming. . . " " <octoryrose@yahoo .com> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Norma 01/22/2008 06:44 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Norma -- need a status update on your mom... > > > Hi Sandie, > > Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro > doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him > again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. > (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, > besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her > applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and > she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and > will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the > moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now > talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. > And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much > this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that > Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared > for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at > this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week > to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just > great to have her home. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Donna, I will try to remember to look at it when I'm there tomorrow. " Donna Mido " <twomido@... t> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Re: Norma 01/23/2008 01:40 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Norma, Do you know what the name of the med was that you gave your Mom for Thrush? When I had Mom they tried to make her swish and spit and it never did work. I haven't heard of A pill you could give for this but it might be good for us to know what it is you gave her. Thanks, and hugs, Donna R Caregave for Mom (after I brought her from WI to MI) for 3 years and 4th year in a nh. She was almost 89 when she died in '02. No dx other than mine. Re: Re: Norma Mom is hanging in there, taking one day at a time, comfortably sleeping in her bed. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day or so--just like her wonderful cat, Buddy, who stays on the bed next to her. After coming home from an 8-day stay at the hospital (she's home almost two weeks), the MRSA staph infection is clear (though it never really all goes away). She was on so many strong antibiotics. Thankfully, we're finished with those. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital from not having any nutrition for over a week. We are now feeding her 3x a day through the PEG feeding tube and that is going well. She got diarrehea and the nurse who visits wanted to put her in the hospital. I said " no " and my sister agreed and I called to ask doctors' opinions. She was put on Flagil and we switched from Pivot to Ensure Plus which has helped. (Pivot is similar to Ensure but has twice the amount of protein--to help with her pressure sore, which is healing nicely). She also got Thrush in her mouth from the antibiotics. The REALLY good news is that the Thrush disappeared as soon as the doctor prescribed a pill that you take just ONCE. (Then there are tablets to dissolve in the mouth for a few days.) And the diarrehea is gone. Though her inflamed esophagus may be a little better (don't know), I don't think she'd be able to continually swallow in the condition she is in right now (though I may be wrong). Maybe we'll give her another swallowing test in a few weeks. As a funny aside, it seems the doctor didn't say the swelling in the esophagus was not " fixable " (I thought he said not " solvable " --through my sister). He actually said not " soluble " --meaning not being able to dissolve or, as the other definition says, " relaxed or readily opened. " She has begun to talk again (mostly calmly to herself) and she had her eyes open for a couple of hours the other night. She's able to answer a question or two at times and amazingly gave me a little kiss again. She's really something! She's really in a healing/calming state right now. She's seems peaceful and without pain. The one blessing of this disease is that the part of the brain that keeps them from knowing things, also keeps them from feeling pain, it seems. I am having her put on a hospice-at-home program this week. I think it will help us with the next steps. My sister (who lives locally) and I have been talking a few times a day since Mom's hospitalization and things are working well. And my other sister came up from Florida this weekend and we were all together with Mom for over an hour (first time in a few years), per my suggestion. I'm thankful they agreed. But Mom slept! She probably said to herself, " let them talk to each other instead of to me. " I am going to go away for a few days this weekend (to Sanibel Island to meet two close friends--one from Maine and the other from Chicago). We meet once a year. I was waiting to see how Mom was doing, and I think I feel OK about going. Sorry I wrote so much, but it just kept coming. . . " " <octoryrose@yahoo ..com> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Norma 01/22/2008 06:44 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Norma -- need a status update on your mom... > > > Hi Sandie, > > Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro > doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him > again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. > (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, > besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her > applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and > she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and > will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the > moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now > talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. > And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much > this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that > Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared > for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at > this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week > to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just > great to have her home. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 PS, Norma, I hope you have a good two day break. And what a gift you have is all your siblings are talking and working together. Not a usual story here. Glad to hear. Hugs, Donna R Caregave for Mom (after I brought her from WI to MI) for 3 years and 4th year in a nh. She was almost 89 when she died in '02. No dx other than mine. Re: Re: Norma Mom is hanging in there, taking one day at a time, comfortably sleeping in her bed. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day or so--just like her wonderful cat, Buddy, who stays on the bed next to her. After coming home from an 8-day stay at the hospital (she's home almost two weeks), the MRSA staph infection is clear (though it never really all goes away). She was on so many strong antibiotics. Thankfully, we're finished with those. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital from not having any nutrition for over a week. We are now feeding her 3x a day through the PEG feeding tube and that is going well. She got diarrehea and the nurse who visits wanted to put her in the hospital. I said " no " and my sister agreed and I called to ask doctors' opinions. She was put on Flagil and we switched from Pivot to Ensure Plus which has helped. (Pivot is similar to Ensure but has twice the amount of protein--to help with her pressure sore, which is healing nicely). She also got Thrush in her mouth from the antibiotics. The REALLY good news is that the Thrush disappeared as soon as the doctor prescribed a pill that you take just ONCE. (Then there are tablets to dissolve in the mouth for a few days.) And the diarrehea is gone. Though her inflamed esophagus may be a little better (don't know), I don't think she'd be able to continually swallow in the condition she is in right now (though I may be wrong). Maybe we'll give her another swallowing test in a few weeks. As a funny aside, it seems the doctor didn't say the swelling in the esophagus was not " fixable " (I thought he said not " solvable " --through my sister). He actually said not " soluble " --meaning not being able to dissolve or, as the other definition says, " relaxed or readily opened. " She has begun to talk again (mostly calmly to herself) and she had her eyes open for a couple of hours the other night. She's able to answer a question or two at times and amazingly gave me a little kiss again. She's really something! She's really in a healing/calming state right now. She's seems peaceful and without pain. The one blessing of this disease is that the part of the brain that keeps them from knowing things, also keeps them from feeling pain, it seems. I am having her put on a hospice-at-home program this week. I think it will help us with the next steps. My sister (who lives locally) and I have been talking a few times a day since Mom's hospitalization and things are working well. And my other sister came up from Florida this weekend and we were all together with Mom for over an hour (first time in a few years), per my suggestion. I'm thankful they agreed. But Mom slept! She probably said to herself, " let them talk to each other instead of to me. " I am going to go away for a few days this weekend (to Sanibel Island to meet two close friends--one from Maine and the other from Chicago). We meet once a year. I was waiting to see how Mom was doing, and I think I feel OK about going. Sorry I wrote so much, but it just kept coming. . . " " <octoryrose@yahoo .com> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Norma 01/22/2008 06:44 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Norma -- need a status update on your mom... > > > Hi Sandie, > > Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro > doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him > again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. > (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, > besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her > applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and > she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and > will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the > moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now > talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. > And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much > this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that > Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared > for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at > this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week > to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just > great to have her home. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Thanks very much, Donna. " Donna Mido " <twomido@... t> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Re: Norma 01/23/2008 01:46 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com PS, Norma, I hope you have a good two day break. And what a gift you have is all your siblings are talking and working together. Not a usual story here. Glad to hear. Hugs, Donna R Caregave for Mom (after I brought her from WI to MI) for 3 years and 4th year in a nh. She was almost 89 when she died in '02. No dx other than mine. Re: Re: Norma Mom is hanging in there, taking one day at a time, comfortably sleeping in her bed. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day or so--just like her wonderful cat, Buddy, who stays on the bed next to her. After coming home from an 8-day stay at the hospital (she's home almost two weeks), the MRSA staph infection is clear (though it never really all goes away). She was on so many strong antibiotics. Thankfully, we're finished with those. She lost a lot of weight in the hospital from not having any nutrition for over a week. We are now feeding her 3x a day through the PEG feeding tube and that is going well. She got diarrehea and the nurse who visits wanted to put her in the hospital. I said " no " and my sister agreed and I called to ask doctors' opinions. She was put on Flagil and we switched from Pivot to Ensure Plus which has helped. (Pivot is similar to Ensure but has twice the amount of protein--to help with her pressure sore, which is healing nicely). She also got Thrush in her mouth from the antibiotics. The REALLY good news is that the Thrush disappeared as soon as the doctor prescribed a pill that you take just ONCE. (Then there are tablets to dissolve in the mouth for a few days.) And the diarrehea is gone. Though her inflamed esophagus may be a little better (don't know), I don't think she'd be able to continually swallow in the condition she is in right now (though I may be wrong). Maybe we'll give her another swallowing test in a few weeks. As a funny aside, it seems the doctor didn't say the swelling in the esophagus was not " fixable " (I thought he said not " solvable " --through my sister). He actually said not " soluble " --meaning not being able to dissolve or, as the other definition says, " relaxed or readily opened. " She has begun to talk again (mostly calmly to herself) and she had her eyes open for a couple of hours the other night. She's able to answer a question or two at times and amazingly gave me a little kiss again. She's really something! She's really in a healing/calming state right now. She's seems peaceful and without pain. The one blessing of this disease is that the part of the brain that keeps them from knowing things, also keeps them from feeling pain, it seems. I am having her put on a hospice-at-home program this week. I think it will help us with the next steps. My sister (who lives locally) and I have been talking a few times a day since Mom's hospitalization and things are working well. And my other sister came up from Florida this weekend and we were all together with Mom for over an hour (first time in a few years), per my suggestion. I'm thankful they agreed. But Mom slept! She probably said to herself, " let them talk to each other instead of to me. " I am going to go away for a few days this weekend (to Sanibel Island to meet two close friends--one from Maine and the other from Chicago). We meet once a year. I was waiting to see how Mom was doing, and I think I feel OK about going. Sorry I wrote so much, but it just kept coming. . . " " <octoryrose@yahoo ..com> To Sent by: LBDcaregivers LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: Norma 01/22/2008 06:44 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Norma -- need a status update on your mom... > > > Hi Sandie, > > Thanks very much for checking. I didn't get a return call from the gastro > doctor re the swelling going down. (very helpful) Though I will call him > again, he did tell my sister--after the procedure--that it wasn't fixable. > (He actually used another word which I can't remember.) Unfortunately, > besides that, the speech therapist had determined--by feeding her > applesauce and water--that the food stayss at the back of her throat and > she had trouble swallowing the water. I'm taking one day at a time and > will ask about the possibility of feeding by mouth at anothe point. At the > moment the feeding tube is working well. My sister and I (yes we are now > talking 5x a day--a positive outcome of this episode) are taking turns. > And we have a new aide who is wonderful. I can't tell you how much > this/she has relieved the stress of this situation for us. I can see that > Mom is happy to be home in her bed in familiar surroundings, being cared > for on a one-to-one basis. Though she hasn't been able to really talk at > this point, I have faith that she will after the antibiotics (still a week > to go) have stopped and after she has settled for a few weeks. It's just > great to have her home. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2008 Report Share Posted January 23, 2008 Thank you for the follow up. I'm glad she's home. I'm glad you & your sisters have worked things out. I'll continue to keep your mom in my prayers. It's similar to how my mom was after the brain biopsy - she was sleeping 90% of the time for over a month... But she came back to us... Sleep is needed for the healing process. Take care Norma & enjoy your few days w/ friends! > > > Mom is hanging in there, taking one day at a time, comfortably sleeping in > her bed. She is sleeping about 20 hours a day or so--just like her > wonderful cat, Buddy, who stays on the bed next to her. After coming home > from an 8-day stay at the hospital (she's home almost two weeks), the MRSA > staph infection is clear (though it never really all goes away). She was > on so many strong antibiotics. Thankfully, we're finished with those. She > lost a lot of weight in the hospital from not having any nutrition for over > a week. We are now feeding her 3x a day through the PEG feeding tube and > that is going well. She got diarrehea and the nurse who visits wanted to > put her in the hospital. I said " no " and my sister agreed and I called to > ask doctors' opinions. She was put on Flagil and we switched from Pivot to > Ensure Plus which has helped. (Pivot is similar to Ensure but has twice > the amount of protein--to help with her pressure sore, which is healing > nicely). She also got Thrush in her mouth from the antibiotics. The > REALLY good news is that the Thrush disappeared as soon as the doctor > prescribed a pill that you take just ONCE. (Then there are tablets to > dissolve in the mouth for a few days.) And the diarrehea is gone. Though > her inflamed esophagus may be a little better (don't know), I don't think > she'd be able to continually swallow in the condition she is in right now > (though I may be wrong). Maybe we'll give her another swallowing test in a > few weeks. As a funny aside, it seems the doctor didn't say the swelling > in the esophagus was not " fixable " (I thought he said not > " solvable " --through my sister). He actually said not " soluble " -- meaning > not being able to dissolve or, as the other definition says, " relaxed or > readily opened. " She has begun to talk again (mostly calmly to herself) > and she had her eyes open for a couple of hours the other night. She's > able to answer a question or two at times and amazingly gave me a little > kiss again. She's really something! She's really in a healing/calming > state right now. She's seems peaceful and without pain. The one blessing > of this disease is that the part of the brain that keeps them from knowing > things, also keeps them from feeling pain, it seems. I am having her put > on a hospice-at-home program this week. I think it will help us with the > next steps. My sister (who lives locally) and I have been talking a few > times a day since Mom's hospitalization and things are working well. And > my other sister came up from Florida this weekend and we were all together > with Mom for over an hour (first time in a few years), per my suggestion. > I'm thankful they agreed. But Mom slept! She probably said to herself, > " let them talk to each other instead of to me. " I am going to go away for > a few days this weekend (to Sanibel Island to meet two close friends--one > from Maine and the other from Chicago). We meet once a year. I was > waiting to see how Mom was doing, and I think I feel OK about going. Sorry > I wrote so much, but it just kept coming. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Thank you, Courage. I understand exactly what you said. I, too, am sending peace and strength to both you and your Mom. " gaat " Sent by: To LBDcaregivers@yah <LBDcaregivers > oogroups.com cc Subject 01/31/2008 08:50 Re: Norma PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com HI Norma, Your mom's response to your sister had me smiling. It is amazing how every now and again they can connect with us. I suppose that in this way we are so fortunate from those caring for people with AD as every once in a long while we get them " back " if only for a few moments. There are days when I think that mom isn't there anymore, which makes me sad, and then others when I feel that she does know me. Either way, I've made my peace with this. Sure it would be nice if mom could come back every now and again but she is going through what she is going through for some reason and is still with us today - again for some reason. I've accepted that all of this is out of my hands. Again, sending you and your mom much strength Courage Re: Norma Hi Courage, Your thoughts have helped. Mom is certainly stronger than she was when she got out of the hospital. Her coloring is good, her skin is smooth, and she looks very comfortable. She hasn't been talking as much and I'm not sure how much she is understanding. HOWEVER, when my sister was leaving my Mom's home the other day, she told my Mom she was going to get some money. Mom said OK. She then told my Mom that she was going to go and take all of her money (said it in a funny way--my sister is quite funny--and she shares the checking account with her). Mom said OK. Mom then added, " You won't get too far! " I can't believe how the logic and humor remains. Courage, I can't help but wonder how much your Mom may understand--particularly loving words and touch. I have found that sensitivity is increased. I have no doubt that she can feel your presence, your touch and, particularly, your loving energy. Best, Norma " gaat " Sent by: To LBDcaregivers@yah <LBDcaregivers > oogroups.com cc Subject 01/31/2008 09:58 Norma AM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Hi Norma, I've been thinking about you and your mom. How are you both doing? Sending you strength. Courage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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