happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Apr 29, 2014 14:00:48 GMT -5
My mom did the exact same thing at a family gathering 3 years ago. Fell asleep so soundly she missed the whole party, even peed in her chair, she was so soundly asleep. At the time I was convinced it was her meds, but then about six months later she had a minor stroke and my sister started going through her kitchen and garage and realized mom wasn't eating anything but ice cream and cream puffs, so probably poor diet had a lot to do with her sleepiness.
Plus her doctors said that once you have a stroke, medicines you've been taking for years can affect you in weird ways. Lots of things that can go wrong.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Apr 29, 2014 14:04:42 GMT -5
When my dad had alzheimers he got really mean to the youngest grand son, who is a sweet, good natured little boy. My dad would shove him or yell at him, something he would never in a million years do before that disease. My nephew was very little, I hope he has other memories of his grandpa rather than just those, because that was not my real dad at all.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Apr 29, 2014 14:05:01 GMT -5
Milee - I will delete my post if I am crossing the line by hi-jacking your thread.
So, this thread together with autism thread is making me think - is this new, is it drastically increasing or is it something we've always had?
It seems that with all the research and innovations and everything else - we are still so much in the dark when it comes to human brain.
So so scary to me
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Apr 29, 2014 14:17:14 GMT -5
Lena- I've wondered the same thing. With my grandma she is one of 13 kids (they all made it well into adulthood. First one didn't pass away until he was in his 70's. So longevity isn't an issue in my family. But they found it odd that grandma had dementia because none of her siblings have or had any signs of dementia (officially speaking). Once they got to talking with their cousins and some of grandma's siblings it became apparent that more had similar issues but passed away from other things before it got that the level grandma is at.
I wonder if because we as a human race seem to be living longer things like this are becoming more common simply because there is a larger number of elderly adults? IDK. I wonder how much has been written off or ignored in the past as simple forgetfulness or senility but was really full blown dementia.
They thought my dad's aunt was just nutty because of her behavior. It wasn't until later that they realized she had brain tumors that were causing her behavior.
happyhoix- I hope someone sits your nephew down when he's older and tells him good stories about his grandpa and explains that the man he knew at the end wasn't the man he was the rest of his life.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Apr 29, 2014 14:20:17 GMT -5
I feel for my little cousins. The "little cousins" is what we call the great grandkids - my son, nieces and nephews and all of my cousins kids. We are a very close family and still do holidays together so all of the little cousins see each other several time a year. My son is the oldest so he had years with grandma before the dementia. He has fond memories of spending time with her and holidays with her that the other little cousins won't have. Some are infants (or not born yet) and some have only really known grandma since she's been in and out of assisted living and the nursing home. They don't have any memories of the grandma that my son remembers. She didn't start to really go down hill until he was 14.
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milee
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Post by milee on Apr 29, 2014 14:50:23 GMT -5
Milee - I will delete my post if I am crossing the line by hi-jacking your thread. So, this thread together with autism thread is making me think - is this new, is it drastically increasing or is it something we've always had? It seems that with all the research and innovations and everything else - we are still so much in the dark when it comes to human brain. So so scary to me Not a hijack at all. This is something I'm thinking about all the time.
I had many long lived relatives (like late 90s - 100+) that were very sharp up until they died, but those were the ones that lived before processed foods and the current lifestyle changes. My grandparents that ate a lot of processed food, diet high in animal fats, etc. and worked around agricultural chemicals lived until almost 90 but one had Alzheimers and the other had dementia for the last 10+ years of their lives.
No idea if there's a link or just a coincidence, not a large enough sample size. But something I wonder about.
BTW, I just read an interesting article containing a study that of homeless people, about half had a TBI (compared to I think it was less than 10% of the general population). Of the homeless people with TBI, close to 90% of them got that injury before they were homeless, so it wasn't caused by homelessness. We're starting to learn more about how brain injury plays into mental illness and personality change. In the past, we thought that concussions weren't necessarily that big a deal after you healed, but now we're finding more... Who knows how all that plays into dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 29, 2014 15:00:45 GMT -5
I'd much rather have DS "help" me along as opposed to him watching me crap my pants. If he shot or poisoned me, he'd go to jail. Not what I want for him. This way no one knows that it was on purpose. I just "got away" from him. How would I ever get a dose of a lethal drug to take? Plus, unless you have a stroke, you are aware you're losing your mind, but just don't want to accept it.
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on Apr 29, 2014 15:04:13 GMT -5
Cyber hugs.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Apr 29, 2014 15:30:03 GMT -5
Milee- there may be something too that with the processed foods. I used to get a lot of headaches but I went on a special diet that cut all of that out. No processed foods, gluten, dairy, sugar, soda, etc. I cheated this weekend for the first time since October and ended up with a headache so bad it started Sunday morning and lingered until last night. It was DS' birthday so we had cookie cake and pizza hut (his choice) and the kids snacked on doritos and cheese curls. First time those have been in our house in 6 months.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Apr 29, 2014 15:35:38 GMT -5
Life isn't fair. And, we say "why me" or "why them". But, in reality, we all could also say "why NOT me"? I mean, none of us are immune to bad things happening. I have just learned to accept that there are simply things beyond your control. And, so all you can do is celebrate the good times and hold the hand of someone going through a difficult time. Right now, my aunt, who is a wonderful person, has suffered a series of strokes. She had brain surgery and needs more brain surgery next week. It sucks. I hate that she is going through this. All I can do is be there for her. And, we can chat about the fun times we have had. We are all mortal. And, to put things in perspective, most of us have been the recipient of many, many blessings in comparison to people across the globe or in the history of man. So, we all need to realize that today is all we have. Tomorrow may look totally different.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 29, 2014 15:47:37 GMT -5
You're right, life isn't fair, but neither is it fair to have people suffer because someone appointed themselves god and you can't decide for yourself how you wish to live or end your own life.
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JustLurkin
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This is what you look like right now.
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Post by JustLurkin on Apr 29, 2014 16:12:47 GMT -5
You're right, life isn't fair, but neither is it fair to have people suffer because someone appointed themselves god and you can't decide for yourself how you wish to live or end your own life.
I was shocked at how lacking my living will was. I was so shocked, I took the envelope it came it, held it upside-down and shook it because I was *that* sure I was missing part of it. My lawyers' lawyer had him take out and/or heavily edit changes I made, he could be liable if anything were to happen. I had my original requests notarized and attached to the living will, have my doctor appointment next week to review the contents. The regulations are insane.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Apr 29, 2014 18:10:48 GMT -5
Sheila your experience is why the elderly with dementia shouldn't be on the anti psychotics. It is absolutely an off label use. Sadly some facilities use it as a chemical restraint. A resident who sleeps 20 hours a day is no trouble at all. For those on Medicare, CMS is trying to crack down on that usage but it's hard to change ingrained behavior.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 29, 2014 18:47:46 GMT -5
We are sure as well as grateful that hospice helped DFs uncle pass faster. A true blessing.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 30, 2014 9:19:04 GMT -5
Well I have a great aunt, she married one of my grandfather's older brothers. She's going to be 99 this year. She had memory loss set in between 95-96, at 97 she was moved to a facility. She's an awesome lady, she flew planes in WWII (WAC i think) and worked in factories that had no other female workers. She was sharp as a tack and would put my grandfather in his place. He'd start running his mouth, then she'd tell an embarrassing story to shut him up. It was great! No one ever told embarassing stories about my grandfather since he was so respected in the community.
Anyway she still knows who everyone is but maybe not what year it is or why she can't go out and drive her car (ever heard 'The Little Old Lady from Pasedena?'). She got so PISSED when the home labeled her a 'flight risk' and put up the notice.
Her older memories are clear, the newer ones are fuzzy. So my husband confuses her, since he's 'new'. She knows that I have a husband who's a mechanic but when we visit gets confused decause my grandfather was a mechanic and had the same dark wavy hair my husband has as a young man (Part of this too is her vision going).
She has 4 kids, I'm not sure where one is, but the youngest one visits every day and is very close to my family. The other two seem more concerned with maintaining their inheritance. They keep trying to get the youngest to move out of the house so they can sell it. She's on the deed, has been since she and Aunt purchased it jointly so I'm not really sure how they think that they can do that. She also has the healthcare and financial POA (which the two other sibs ignore) and is left EVERYTHING in the will (on file at the lawyer's office). About 10 years ago, my aunt went though and made sure all ducks were in a row so youngest got everything, since she never married, has a disability and can no longer work and Aunt knew the siblings would never help her out. I'm guessing the siblings never bothered checking with the lawyer...
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swamp
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THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
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Post by swamp on Apr 30, 2014 9:27:57 GMT -5
Milee - I will delete my post if I am crossing the line by hi-jacking your thread. So, this thread together with autism thread is making me think - is this new, is it drastically increasing or is it something we've always had? It seems that with all the research and innovations and everything else - we are still so much in the dark when it comes to human brain. So so scary to me Hard to develop alzheimers when you die at 60.
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Sunnyday
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Post by Sunnyday on Apr 30, 2014 9:42:37 GMT -5
early on-set Alzheimer's can hit as early ad mid 30's.
It is much more aggressive and it destroys families.
Alzheimer's was originally diagnosed among the "young." Late forties and early fifties. That means the disease had probably had its onset in the mid thirties.
I think that there is a major tendency to throw dementia and Alzheimer's in the same hat. I'm no doctor though.
And if I get it, I would off myself. No way, I would put my family through that torture.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Apr 30, 2014 20:52:29 GMT -5
My sympathies for your friends milee. One wants to think that our minds are something we'll always have. And a large part of who we are, we owe to our friends. If there is anything at all which stays constant; it is that things always change.
...:::" but those were the ones that lived before processed foods and the current lifestyle changes. My grandparents that ate a lot of processed food, diet high in animal fats, etc. and worked around agricultural chemicals lived until almost 90 but one had Alzheimers and the other had dementia for the last 10+ years of their lives.":::...
I think we are all going to have serious health problems in the future thanks to the food supply in general. Even so called healthy foods have had their scares. And "healthy" is constantly re-invented such that things which once possessed glowing recommendations seem to have fallen from favor.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Apr 30, 2014 21:04:50 GMT -5
...:::"- The envelope will be taped to my bathroom mirror. - The outside of the envelope will say, "If you don't know what this is, open the envelope and follow the instructions." - The envelope will contain a note from me to me explaining that I have memory loss and forget to take my daily medication, so please take this medication right now. - The pills contained will not be medication.":::...
This is both phenomenally dark, and immensely practical.
I so want to jump into the sub-discussion on government contracting. However that needs to be its own thread, to be started at another time. This thread is to help the OP.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on May 1, 2014 6:36:25 GMT -5
Long ago, i learned life isn't fair. So, there is little point to expect that it is. We are all hit with good times and bad times. It just is what it is. And, you just deal with and muddle through the best you can.
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ginpin
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Post by ginpin on May 1, 2014 21:10:41 GMT -5
My dad died of early-onset Alzheimer's. He was 52 when diagnosed, died before he turned 60.
I am paranoid that I will get it. I know there are tests to see if one is genetically predisposed to it...but then what?
I think I like Milee's plan.
It sucks to see any of our friends and family like that.
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