Re: Newbie

[Guest guest]

Welcome both of you! I think you'll find the board very supportive

and full of great information. I know it keeps me motivated even

when I'm waning a bit! Tell us a little about yourselves, how much

do you hope to lose, how are you doing, etc.

203/173/167

> > Hi Group:

> >

> > I just recently joined WW and this group and look

> > forward to getting

> > to know everyone.

> >

> > Laurie

>

> Welcome Laurie )!!!!!! I'm new to the list as well

> )!!!!

>

>

>

>

> =====

> Gymmie in Cali )!!!!!!

> 241.6/170/150 (personal and then we'll see)/140(WW)

> OP 8/5/2K2 )!!!!

> " The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us. "

> " Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see. "

> " Act as if it were impossible to fail. "

> " There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going. "

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

--- stephaniecorby wrote:

>

> Welcome both of you! I think you'll find the board

> very supportive

> and full of great information. I know it keeps me

> motivated even

> when I'm waning a bit! Tell us a little about

> yourselves, how much

> do you hope to lose, how are you doing, etc.

>

>

> 203/173/167

Hi )!!!!!!

Thanks )!!!!!!

I originally did WW about 3 1/2 years ago. Money

started getting tight, so I couldn't attend the

meetings regularly any more. I've done a pretty good

job in maintaining, have been dealing with mainly

vacation and blown week pounds. Looking at losing

about another 20 pounds or so. I just started back to

journaling seriously, so I'll have my first weigh next

week )!!!!

=====

Gymmie in Cali )!!!!!!

241.6/170/150 (personal and then we'll see)/140(WW)

OP 8/5/2K2 )!!!!

" The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us. "

" Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see. "

" Act as if it were impossible to fail. "

" There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going. "

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks to all who have answered my post about my Dad and Aricept. After

reviewing the advice we received and talking to the doctor, we decided to have

him start taking the Aricept in the morning instead of at night and take it

every other day instead of every day. The result has been positive. He's

sleeping better at night with no dreams, and his fatigue has lessened. He almost

seems like he's back to his old self. I think there's been a slight improvement

in his memory also, so I think his body has adjusted to the med, and it might

actually be helping him right now. He does tire more easily than he did before,

but he's turning 85 tomorrow, so that's not surprising.

He has not talked about any hallucinations for several weeks. I'm just trying to

take it one day at a time, and I know I'm still in a little bit of denial, but

I'm kind of hoping maybe the diagnosis is wrong, and he's just experiencing some

age-related memory loss rather than actual LBD. I guess time will tell. For now,

though, I'm just trying to enjoy each day with him.

I'm going to keep monitoring this group and I've been praying for all of you.

Thanks again for your support!

Elise

************************************

Elise,

I had the same problem with Mom on Aricept and took her off them. It wasn't

worth it to me and she did ok without them for 4 years.

She had a real bad time with most meds.

Hope this helps. It is always a weight problem. Which side do you come down on

with meds or without them. I just let her do her thing without them. She died at

88 and 1/2. She was about 84 when she finally came to live with me.

Hugs,

Donna R

Cared for Mom 3 years in my home and the last year at a nh. She passed away from

LBD in 2002.

scared with questions

Hello, all,

I am new to this site and vey scared, as I'm sure all of you were in the

beginning. I have a rare lung disease myself called primary pulmonary

hypertension, and the message board on the Pulmonary Hypertension Association

website has been a Godsend to me, so I was excited to find this website for Lewy

Body as well.

My wonderful father, who will be 85 in two weeks, was just diagnosed last week

with LBD. He has been in excellent health up until now, so this has been a huge

shock. I started to notice he was getting a little more forgetful sometime this

winter, but it seemed manageable. Then he kept talking about these vivid dreams

he was having, and how he would get up in the middle of the night to look around

the apartment because he had dreamed someone was there (he has lived alone the

last three years since my beautiful mother died of heart disease.)

Then, about six weeks ago he started telling us he thought he had carpet beetles

in his apartment. He said he was seeing " swirls " or " movement " and the

" aftermath " of a bug " feeding frenzy. " After determining there were no bugs and

that his eyes were fine, we took him to a geriatric specialist, who did memory

tests and gave us the LBD diagnosis. They put him on Zoloft and Aricept.

Almost immediately, Dad started experiencing extreme fatigue, loss of appetite,

trouble sleeping and staying asleep and some muscle cramps. We took him off the

Zoloft, and now we are wondering if we should take him off the Aricept, as these

symptoms are listed among possible side effects. My dilemma is that if the

Aricept will help his memory, is it worth it to wait to see if the side effects

will last?

The doctor said he was in the early stages of LBD and the progression will

likely be slow, but since he got diagnosed and started these new meds, he seems

so much worse! Before this, he only took a diuretic for mild high blood

pressure and a baby aspirin.

Does anyone have any advice about continuing the Aricept based on the side

effects it seems to be causing?

Thank you for any help anyone can give me. I am so lost right now as I try to

process all this, and I know my dad feels the same way.

Elise in Illinois