Re: Mother saw geriatrician today

[Guest guest]

Eileen,

I'm so glad to hear you found Dr. Holm and that your mother's prognosis is

good! Your email felt glad, relieved and full of hope. Wonderful.

Re telling the hospital about the possibility of a stroke and the MRI, I

would wait until you get the results. Then you will know exactly what you

want to don't want to say.

Wishing you well, Norma

" freetoclean1 "

<e.eileenthompson

@comcast.net> To

Sent by: LBDcaregivers

LBDcaregivers@yah cc

oogroups.com

Subject

Mother saw

04/17/2008 12:01 geriatrician today

AM

Please respond to

LBDcaregivers@yah

oogroups.com

My Mother saw Dr. Alvin Holm at Bethesda Hospital in St. today.

He spent about an hour with my Mother, aunt, and I asking a lot of

questions and giving us a lot of information, almost too much. After

talking with her, asking her questions, looking at her in the

wheelchair, he believes she may have had a stroke. He ordered an

MRI, blood work, and a UA. He didn't give us a definite answer as to

whether she has LBD or Parkinson's with dementia. But the most

important thing he said was that there's no reason why she can't be

like she was before the UTI. He says that they treat people with

dementia with Alzheimer's meds, as everyone has said here. He is

starting her on the Exelon patch. He said we should see results in

24 hours. WOW!!! But we have to be cautious as some people don't

always react right away to the Alzheimer's meds and it may be trial

and error with different meds.

I told Dr. Holm that when Mother was in the hospital last week with

the UTI that I had asked her primary dr. if she had had a stroke

because she wasn't using her right hand, her right leg, and she was

mumbling. I was told she did not have a stroke because if she did

her arm would have been limp. I also told Dr. Holm that I felt like

my Mother was written off because she has Parkinson's and dementia

and that no tests were run except for the ones they did in the ER.

He says people with dementia can and should be treated. I sensed he

was frustrated with doctors like my Mother's.

Dr. Holm said that there's a window of time, 7-14 days, that an MRI

should be done when a stroke is suspected. He said it's also

possible that she may have had smaller strokes earlier and it showed

up as a weakness at this time. He looked at the meds Mother is

currently taking and saw that she was given the antibiotic Cipro to

treat the UTI. He says it causes confusion for people with dementia.

He discontinued it if it wasn't already stopped.

We go back to see Dr. Holm next Wednesday. My Mother should show

signs of improvement by then and Dr. Holm will have the results of

the MRI.

I made my complaints of my Mother's hospital stay known to the

Director of Inpatient Services. Should I let her know that I

received a second opinion and that this doctor feels that my Mother

did have a stroke and that an MRI and blood tests were ordered?

I am so thankful for the local LBD Caregiver Support Group in

Maplewood, MN. They are the ones that gave me the name of Dr. Holm.

It was 4 weeks from the time I made the appointment until we

actually saw him. I feel my Mother's hospitalization due to the UTI

happened before this appointment for a reason. Thankfully she will

now receive the kind of treatment she deserves. Dr. Holm is truly an

answer to prayer.

I also want to thank everyone for passing on your knowledge of what

meds work and don't work for your LOs. Because of this information,

I knew that what he was prescribing was in line with what you

recommend. So thank you!!!

God bless you all!

Eileen in MN

Mother PD dx 12-02

PD w/dementia or LBD 4-08?

[Guest guest]

Results from Exelon within 24 hours? Wow! That's the first time I ever

heard that. To be honest, we haven't seen any improvement. I wasn't under

the impression that it could bring anything back but rather they hoped it

would prevent or slow down the progression of the memory problems, etc.

Am I wrong?

 

Gladys Stefany

Milford, Pike County, PA

Caretaker to Mom (Grace) age 76 - appears to be in between stages 3 and 4

Diagnosed with " probable " Diffuse Lewy Body Disease

Current Meds: Benadryl, Exelon Patch, Lunesta, Namenda, Nexium, Parcopa,

Premarin, Synthroid, Vytorin, and Zoloft

-- Mother saw geriatrician today

My Mother saw Dr. Alvin Holm at Bethesda Hospital in St. today.

He spent about an hour with my Mother, aunt, and I asking a lot of

questions and giving us a lot of information, almost too much. After

talking with her, asking her questions, looking at her in the

wheelchair, he believes she may have had a stroke. He ordered an

MRI, blood work, and a UA. He didn't give us a definite answer as to

whether she has LBD or Parkinson's with dementia. But the most

important thing he said was that there's no reason why she can't be

like she was before the UTI. He says that they treat people with

dementia with Alzheimer's meds, as everyone has said here. He is

starting her on the Exelon patch. He said we should see results in

24 hours. WOW!!! But we have to be cautious as some people don't

always react right away to the Alzheimer's meds and it may be trial

and error with different meds.

I told Dr. Holm that when Mother was in the hospital last week with

the UTI that I had asked her primary dr. if she had had a stroke

because she wasn't using her right hand, her right leg, and she was

mumbling. I was told she did not have a stroke because if she did

her arm would have been limp. I also told Dr. Holm that I felt like

my Mother was written off because she has Parkinson's and dementia

and that no tests were run except for the ones they did in the ER.

He says people with dementia can and should be treated. I sensed he

was frustrated with doctors like my Mother's.

Dr. Holm said that there's a window of time, 7-14 days, that an MRI

should be done when a stroke is suspected. He said it's also

possible that she may have had smaller strokes earlier and it showed

up as a weakness at this time. He looked at the meds Mother is

currently taking and saw that she was given the antibiotic Cipro to

treat the UTI. He says it causes confusion for people with dementia.

He discontinued it if it wasn't already stopped.

We go back to see Dr. Holm next Wednesday. My Mother should show

signs of improvement by then and Dr. Holm will have the results of

the MRI.

I made my complaints of my Mother's hospital stay known to the

Director of Inpatient Services. Should I let her know that I

received a second opinion and that this doctor feels that my Mother

did have a stroke and that an MRI and blood tests were ordered?

I am so thankful for the local LBD Caregiver Support Group in

Maplewood, MN. They are the ones that gave me the name of Dr. Holm.

It was 4 weeks from the time I made the appointment until we

actually saw him. I feel my Mother's hospitalization due to the UTI

happened before this appointment for a reason. Thankfully she will

now receive the kind of treatment she deserves. Dr. Holm is truly an

answer to prayer.

I also want to thank everyone for passing on your knowledge of what

meds work and don't work for your LOs. Because of this information,

I knew that what he was prescribing was in line with what you

recommend. So thank you!!!

God bless you all!

Eileen in MN

Mother PD dx 12-02

PD w/dementia or LBD 4-08?

------------------------------------

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