Re: is home

[Guest guest]

Dear Sherry,

Glad to hear things are getting back to " normal, " and that you were able to

resolve the ativan issue....  Hopefully your Mom will be on an upswing, and can

stay in a room without a roommate.

 

Enjoy your daughter - even if you will be cleaning cages... I had a cockatiel

years ago - she was about 18 or 19 when she died - I remember enjoying having

her around,b ut not having to clean the cage - and you have so many to do!!!

 

Hope you are feeling well, too!

Hugs,

Helene

Subject: is home

To: LBDcaregivers

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 12:33 AM

(DON) said that they're going to leave her in the private room until

they need it for someone else, it is right next to the day room where her

piano is. I haven't talked to my mom or seen her since she got back as I

was downstate all afternoon and evening and I'm exhausted and in pain so I

will make this short.

Gratiot called to go over med changes with me: they increased her seroquel

and added ativan and detrol. I had a fit. The ativan is 0.5 mg PRN. I

told them no way, I've seen what it has done to her in the past and she is

not to have any, for any reason. The nurse said she'd had it twice with

good results in Gratiot. I said I didn't care, she wasn't to go back to

King's with an order for ativan. Then I suggested perhaps a similar order

for 0.5 mg. xanax PRN, which I know works for her very well with no bad

effects. So they were going to change the order before they sent her back,

per my request.

Re: the detrol - I was shocked about that but they said that, in spite of

warnings the company has put out, they haven't had a poor response in

LBDers, and that this is an important quality of life issue to my mom.

She's been on a minimal dose for 4 days with good results. The whole

quality of life thing gets me, as that is my goal...so she'll be on that

unless and until she has a bad response. When I talked to (after I'd

talked to Gratiot) I told her that if there are any problems or issues of

any kind, I wanted them to d/c the detrol immediately, no questions asked.

OTOH, if it DOES help my mom and she doesn't have a bad result, it will be

great for her .

Turns out that my mom DID have a UTI as well. King's had done a dip, it was

negative - I've told them that my mom has negative dips all the time, then a

culture shows a UTI, this is COMMON with my mom. They did a dip when she

first got to Gratiot that was also negative, then did a culture and it

showed the infection. So also has it that if they suspect a UTI

they're going to do a UA instead of the dip.

I'm not thrilled that they gave her that " tiny bit " of ativan, even though

it worked as they wanted it to, and helped her and she didn't have any bad

responses. And I'm not thrilled that she's on detrol. But I will take a

wait-and-see attitude, if it helps her and doesn't cause any adverse

reactions, that'll be great. The whole dribbling thing has been a major

thorn in her side and I will be happy for her if it can be resolved without

causing other problems.

I'm whipped, it has been an incredibly long day. I hope to see my mom

tomorrow, Casey is coming over to help me with cage cleaning because I

simply can't do it like it needs to be done, and also around the house

because Pete just doesn't have the time, he's having to take over so many

things in addition to working all these extra hours...I had to break down

and admit that I need help. So tomorrow, my lovely pregnant daughter will

come to my aid .

Good night...

His,

Sherry

www.owly.net

daughter of , (mis?)diagnosed with AD in 2005, descent slowed by

Aricept; diagnosed with LBD March 2008, in a wonderful NH 1/2 mile from my

house. We're learning to live with Lewy...