Re: Our Imogene Another long note, don't know how to write any other way

[Guest guest]

Oh, Dearest Imogene,

I can so empathize with you and what you are going through and I wish with all

my heart there were really magic wands to wave and make the sadness and all the

other emotional feelings that tear us up, go away!

Looking back, I realize that Smitty was slowly going down hill for quite a

number of years. As a nurse, I should have realized this. I can look at some

folks and mentally diagnose them in my mind. A fixed rib cage and shortness of

breath usually indicates emphysema or some other lung problems. A dusky color

can indicate some type of heart disease, etc. etc.. But when you're really close

to someone and have known them since you were 10 and had a terrible crush on him

then and you've been married to him a total of 54 years, and you now have

reached your 70's, your mind refuses to recognize what you're seeing and dealing

with. I can't begin to tell you how many miles I've paddled up the river of de

Nile.

He was still able to get around pretty well altho he had a Parkinson's gait

until a week before he died and was no longer able to stand even with assist

and still had hallucinations. I had printed out all the LBD info on this site

and others and bought Dr. Bouve's book and gave them to his Dr as he' had never

heard of LBD after you wrote me and sent me the links to the LBD sites.. Looking

back, he realized, some of his ALZ patients probably had LBD and since then

he's diagnosed another patient with LBD.

I moved my 92 yr old Daddy in with us this past winter when I realized he wasn't

eating food I'd sent home with him or warming up cans of food I'd bought. I was

spending more on his grocery bill than ours because he was too frugal to spend

that kind of money! It costs a lot more when you don't cook from scratch. We'd

also had to have the neighbor plow out his 450' long driveway of snow four times

so he could get out or anyone could get in. He now lives on around 5 cans of

ensure a day and has put on about 12 lbs. He loves ice cream and a certain kind

of Fr. Vanilla Cappucino. The problem is, I always want some ice cream too and I

look like it! His memory is lousy and he asks the same questions over and over,

needs reminding to change his clothes etc but is just as sweet as he can be.

We've sold his place and my place is listed but we hardly have wiggle room

because of all his stuff that was brought over to our tiny 2 story. I'm at the

point of yard selling everything except what a buyer wants left in the house,

take 3 boxes of china and our clothes, pictures and toiletries to Louisville, KY

where our youngest son lives. We've found the house we want and with son and

wife's family checking things out, we will be sending an earnest check ASAP and

then will drive back and check it out in person. Lots of pics have been taken,

inside and out and it really looks like THE ONE! The nicest thing is the

availability of senior day care centers, hospitals etc. I put my husband in the

local hospital here, 26 miles away, for 3 days respite care as I was getting

exausted. I printed out the info from this site, including the Good, Bad, and

Ugly meds. I stressed to the Dr who had never heard of LBD before, the

sensitivity these patients have to meds and brought in husband's meds from

home. Later I was told they had passed the word that they didn't want him back

as he was a danger to the other residents and staff. Turns out he kicked one cna

in the stomach and socked another in the jaw. I was so upset! I loved the staff,

had worked with them for years! Turns out the new DR was planning on leaving

town for a two week vacation the next day. He did read the instructions on the

label of the Seroquel and thought the dosage was way too high and cut it back.

In order for me to take care of him at home his regular Dr had prescribed 200 mg

up to 4 times a day for psychotic episodes.

The second night was when he became aggressive. The charge nurse called the on

call Dr and got an order for a shot of Ativan. Same thing the following night. I

didn't know any of this until a couple of weeks later when I was told these

things by reliable people. Within a month, he passed away in his sleep. I don't

know the cause for sure. I only know he is no longer suffering from not being in

control of his life, home and body and all the indignities of this terrible

disease! All we can do I guess is try to educate, educate, educate. I've told

everyone I've had contact with about this disease. Even the lady at the bank

when I had his name removed from accounts. She listened, nodding her head

knowingly and said she'd recently lost her Mom or Grandma who died with what

sounded like the same thing. She said many folks had told her she was taking it

well and couldn't understand how she could. She tries to explain the terrible

nightmares they'd suffered and now they were at piece. No more suffering or

indignities until they awaken to the trumpet call in fully restored perfect

bodies. But all the visitors who stopped by briefly had only seen " Show Time "

and she could see the questions in their eyes.

I wish you the best Dear heart You are blessed to have Don's daughter

overseeing his care. And we have all been blessed with your encouragement and

love for Don. You've been such a wonderful inspiration to all of us and you are

dearly loved. Please take care of yourself. Much love, Gayle-in-the-Boonies

[Guest guest]

cybermom,

my love and hugs to go to you and keep you in my prayers as always i love you,

sharon

Subject: Re: Our Imogene Another long note, don't know how to

write any other way

To: LBDcaregivers

Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008, 12:10 AM

Oh, Dearest Imogene,

I can so empathize with you and what you are going through and I wish with all

my heart there were really magic wands to wave and make the sadness and all the

other emotional feelings that tear us up, go away!

Looking back, I realize that Smitty was slowly going down hill for quite a

number of years. As a nurse, I should have realized this. I can look at some

folks and mentally diagnose them in my mind. A fixed rib cage and shortness of

breath usually indicates emphysema or some other lung problems. A dusky color

can indicate some type of heart disease, etc. etc.. But when you're really close

to someone and have known them since you were 10 and had a terrible crush on him

then and you've been married to him a total of 54 years, and you now have

reached your 70's, your mind refuses to recognize what you're seeing and dealing

with. I can't begin to tell you how many miles I've paddled up the river of de

Nile.

He was still able to get around pretty well altho he had a Parkinson's gait

until a week before he died and was no longer able to stand even with assist and

still had hallucinations. I had printed out all the LBD info on this site and

others and bought Dr. Bouve's book and gave them to his Dr as he' had never

heard of LBD after you wrote me and sent me the links to the LBD sites.. Looking

back, he realized, some of his ALZ patients probably had LBD and since then he's

diagnosed another patient with LBD.

I moved my 92 yr old Daddy in with us this past winter when I realized he wasn't

eating food I'd sent home with him or warming up cans of food I'd bought. I was

spending more on his grocery bill than ours because he was too frugal to spend

that kind of money! It costs a lot more when you don't cook from scratch. We'd

also had to have the neighbor plow out his 450' long driveway of snow four times

so he could get out or anyone could get in. He now lives on around 5 cans of

ensure a day and has put on about 12 lbs. He loves ice cream and a certain kind

of Fr. Vanilla Cappucino. The problem is, I always want some ice cream too and I

look like it! His memory is lousy and he asks the same questions over and over,

needs reminding to change his clothes etc but is just as sweet as he can be.

We've sold his place and my place is listed but we hardly have wiggle room

because of all his stuff that was brought over to our tiny 2 story. I'm at the

point of yard

selling everything except what a buyer wants left in the house, take 3 boxes of

china and our clothes, pictures and toiletries to Louisville, KY where our

youngest son lives. We've found the house we want and with son and wife's family

checking things out, we will be sending an earnest check ASAP and then will

drive back and check it out in person. Lots of pics have been taken, inside and

out and it really looks like THE ONE! The nicest thing is the availability of

senior day care centers, hospitals etc. I put my husband in the local hospital

here, 26 miles away, for 3 days respite care as I was getting exausted. I

printed out the info from this site, including the Good, Bad, and Ugly meds. I

stressed to the Dr who had never heard of LBD before, the sensitivity these

patients have to meds and brought in husband's meds from home. Later I was told

they had passed the word that they didn't want him back as he was a danger to

the other residents and staff.

Turns out he kicked one cna in the stomach and socked another in the jaw. I was

so upset! I loved the staff, had worked with them for years! Turns out the new

DR was planning on leaving town for a two week vacation the next day. He did

read the instructions on the label of the Seroquel and thought the dosage was

way too high and cut it back. In order for me to take care of him at home his

regular Dr had prescribed 200 mg up to 4 times a day for psychotic episodes.

The second night was when he became aggressive. The charge nurse called the on

call Dr and got an order for a shot of Ativan. Same thing the following night. I

didn't know any of this until a couple of weeks later when I was told these

things by reliable people. Within a month, he passed away in his sleep. I don't

know the cause for sure. I only know he is no longer suffering from not being in

control of his life, home and body and all the indignities of this terrible

disease! All we can do I guess is try to educate, educate, educate. I've told

everyone I've had contact with about this disease.. Even the lady at the bank

when I had his name removed from accounts. She listened, nodding her head

knowingly and said she'd recently lost her Mom or Grandma who died with what

sounded like the same thing. She said many folks had told her she was taking it

well and couldn't understand how she could. She tries to explain the terrible

nightmares they'd suffered and

now they were at piece. No more suffering or indignities until they awaken to

the trumpet call in fully restored perfect bodies. But all the visitors who

stopped by briefly had only seen " Show Time " and she could see the questions in

their eyes.

I wish you the best Dear heart You are blessed to have Don's daughter overseeing

his care. And we have all been blessed with your encouragement and love for Don.

You've been such a wonderful inspiration to all of us and you are dearly loved.

Please take care of yourself. Much love, Gayle-in-the- Boonies