Re: Re: My First LBD Conscious Healthcare Milestone/ Cystocele

March 23, 2008

I have included the print above of a Rectocyle and a Cystocyle so that any

of our beloved caregivers can get a better understanding of the LO Anatomy, and

thereby understand what many older people contend with.

Hi dear Joan,

I was glad to read your letter, and to see that you are trying to get your

Mom weaned off Haldol. Good for you. Otherwise I know nothing about her

medicines. I would have to look up each one.

I did want to comment on your Mom having to go potty every thirty minutes.

My own mother had that problem. The person can sit on the toilet and go a

little, and feel that's it, so she stands up, and whoops she is going on the

floor. My Mom couldn't control her bladder at all.

But, for those that can control their bladders to a degree, yet have to go,

then being elderly they may have a cystocele that will not allow the person

to empty the bladder completely. This is one reason so many older LO get

UTI's. Stagnate urine

in the bladder is a prime place for UTI's to take hold.

Using different positions on the toilet, or leaning forward with wide spread

legs may help empty the bladder. Some find that standing over the toilet or

even bending while standing over the toilet helps empty the bladder.

I hope this helps your Mom with the potty dilemma. We see adv. all the time

about " gotta go " gotta go " A medicine to control over active bladder, but for

my LO, I would not go that route. It may be a sure way of getting a UTI.

Love a lot in your struggle to survive through this land of Lewyville.

Imogene

In a message dated 3/23/2008 4:54:49 AM Central Standard Time,

joan_croft@... writes:

Finally at about 8:45 p.m. tonight I got my mom home.

It's Saturday and the doctor on call didn't come to see my mom until

after 3 p.m.

I don't know if I mentioned that she has hyper parathyroidism and

that is why she had a very high calcium level in her blood. They got

that down to normal today by keeping her on Lasix and the IV running

to flush out as much of the calcium as possible. The doctor on call

came in and explained that there is a surgery that can be done to

correct the problem or it can be managed by drugs. Then she asked me

what stage of the dementia she was in, and I had to reply that I

really don't know...I guess I am too afraid to even think about it,

but I'm so afraid because things seem to be progressing so fast

lately but am hoping that is due to the Risprodal she was taking.

Well anyway, I told her that she really needed to talk to the

neurologist about that because I can't make the decision for work-ups

to surgery or just medication without knowing all of the facts. She

called him and they decided to just give her Fosamax to replenish the

calcium in her bones and continue on the Lasix to flush out the

Calcium that the parathyroid glands are taking from the bones. I

don't think that it would be too wise to have surgery, and even if

she didn't have LBD any kind of surgery has increased risks when

someone is 85. So, they had to do a 3-hour drip of Fosamax to make a

big start on the calcium replenishment and that didn't get done until

8 p.m. I asked that doctor about the increased spastic activity of

her arms and legs and she said she would talk to the neurologist

about that also, but I think it probably is a side effect of the

Haldol. I have found that if I have her move the leg or arm that is

spasming that the spasm stops, so I have been coaching her alot today

because it just kills me to see her shaking like that. The physical

therapist came this morning and got her walking down the hall with a

walker and it seemed to take forever and then she had to rest when we

got to the place to turn around. Then after that I noticed that she

was a little more alert. The movement helped to get some of the

Haldol sleepiness out of her. So, when she started getting agitated

because the Haldol was wearing off and her pre-Haldol behavior was

back, I started taking her for walks down the hall and around the

ward to both get more of the Haldol through her and to occupy her so

that she wouldn't get too agitated before discharge. She walks so

much better holding my hand than using the walker, but she has to use

the walker sometimes because I don't always have a free hand when she

would need it. All in all, she is no more confused than before the

Haldol, and they are having me start her on the 2.5 mg of Zyprexa

tomorrow. I hope that can control the behavior problems without bad

side effects. I will be much more watchful for the first thing that

doesn't seem right.

The current list of meds per her discharge instructions:

Lotensin 5mg daily

Detrol LA 4 mg daily

Lasix 20 mg daily

Megace 200mg daily

Levaquin 500 mg daily

Fametidine20 mg daily

Diovan 80mg dail

Aricept 5mg daily

Zyprexa 2.5 mg daily

Fosamax 70mg weekly

K-Dur 10mg daily

The interesting thing (and I don't know if anyone has any input on

this) is that she still insists that she has to go to the bathroom at

least every 30 minutes when awake and everytime that she woke up

before the Haldol wore off. I told her once that she just went 10

minutes ago and she didn't remember. So, maybe she thinks it has

been a long time since she went and thinks she should go, or perhaps -

because she is in this phase where she is always wondering where her

parents are - that she is currently in a phase where she thinks she

is quite young and doesn't want to forget to go and soil her pants. I

guess I'll never know, but I do know that she doesn't have to go that

often and even the Detrol isn't stopping her. I hope that after her

behavioral issues get under control she will only go when she has to

and also that she will start eating again. If she doesn't I am

supposed to take her back for a feeding tube...I don't want to do

that to her, so I will be doing everything that I can to get her to

eat - even if it is only ice cream all day long.

Gotta go now and get some stuff done before I get some sleep. This

is my only time to get it done, but I just had to take the time first

to let you know how things are going.

Thanks to all of you for your support...it really helps to write

what's going on and my feelings because no one can really help if

they don't really know first hand what you are talking about.

Joan

> >

> > Quoting :

> >

> > > About 7 p.m. tonight the nurses gave her a dose of halidol?

> > > and she was out like a light within five minutes.

> >

> > Oh yeah - out like a light in 5 minutes ...

> >

> > Let's see how long it takes to " comeback "

> >

> > Not to scare you but my Dad - *never* did ! It put him in a

> catatonic

> > state for sooo long he had to get a feeding tube for meds and

food.

> >

> > He came out of it a bit in a few weeks - but it all made him go

> sooo

> > down hill he never recovered and passed about 8 weeks later.

> >

> > DO NOT GIVE HALDOL !!

> >

> > Donna

> >

> > >

> > > NO Haldol! Haldol is BAD for those w/ LBD. Read here:

> > >

> > > HALDOL:

> > >

> > > The " Emergency Wallet Card " from LBDA lists traditional

> > > antipsychotics (e.g. Haldol) as a NO NO:

> > > " CONTRAINDICATED:

> > > All traditional antipsychotics "

> > > (to order an emergency wallet card - email LBDA at LBDA

@LBDA.org

> (no

> > > spaces))

> > >

> >

>

March 23, 2008

Oh shoot! the picture didn't take.

Imogene

In a message dated 3/23/2008 1:29:16 PM Central Standard Time,

Iward27663@... writes:

I have included the print above of a Rectocyle and a Cystocyle so that any

of our beloved caregivers can get a better understanding of the LO Anatomy,

and

thereby understand what many older people contend with.

Hi dear Joan,

I was glad to read your letter, and to see that you are trying to get your

Mom weaned off Haldol. Good for you. Otherwise I know nothing about her

medicines. I would have to look up each one.

I did want to comment on your Mom having to go potty every thirty minutes.

My own mother had that problem. The person can sit on the toilet and go a

little, and feel that's it, so she stands up, and whoops she is going on

the

floor. My Mom couldn't control her bladder at all.

But, for those that can control their bladders to a degree, yet have to go,

then being elderly they may have a cystocele that will not allow the person

to empty the bladder completely. This is one reason so many older LO get

UTI's. Stagnate urine

in the bladder is a prime place for UTI's to take hold.

Using different positions on the toilet, or leaning forward with wide

spread

legs may help empty the bladder. Some find that standing over the toilet or

even bending while standing over the toilet helps empty the bladder.

I hope this helps your Mom with the potty dilemma. We see adv. all the time

about " gotta go " gotta go " A medicine to control over active bladder, but

for