Another episode - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

mamaduck4 · 09-17-2006, 12:32 PM

Last night when I was preparing dinner, my husband was in the family room and all of a sudden he started talking to someone and hallucinating. Anyway, by the time dinner was ready I called him to come and eat. He was very confused and didn't get up so my daughter that lives with us and I went to see why he didn't get out of the chair. Well, he wasn't able to stand up by himself and we were on each side of him trying to get him to take a step. He was moving his feet up and down but not going anywhere. Finally we got him to start to walk but he took these tiny little baby steps. Didn't think we were going to make it. Got him to the kitchen table and said he should sit down. He couldn't seem to do that either and with a lot of encouragement and help we got him to bend his knees and sit down. He ate really well once he got down but really had tremers and it was sad seeing him try to get the food up to his mouth. Could episodes like this be small strokes??? This happened a month or so ago when we were outside and he couldn't keep his balance and was walking backwards and would have fallen had my daughter and I not been right there. Then too we had a hard time getting him to a chair. These are the only two time we have seen this happen to him.

If anyone has had experiences like this please share your info. I would greratly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Jan

angel_bear · 09-17-2006, 04:06 PM

Hi Mamaduck,

your quite right, it could be mini strokes affecting him like this ... my ex-charge would often have 'episodes' where she would be walking around but leaning heavily to one side (to the point of we were wondering how she was actually standing upright!!) hallucinating and talking to pictures in magazines or her little stuffed dog ... she wouldn't be able to use cutlery on those days only her fingers and would be terribly incontinent. As she had lost her words by this stage, we had no idea what she was saying, and she had no idea what we were saying either. It's a scary , horrible time when these episodes happen.

Do you have a home blood pressure kit? High blood pressure can create TIA's (Transient Ischaemic Attacks) to make these episodes happen. Has he had any access to medications and perhaps over medicated himself? Is there anything around he is allergic to that he can have access to?

I advise you to log down these episodes in detail. What was he doing before the episode? How long did the episode last? Day, Date, Time etc .. there may be a pattern and it's handy to hand to a doctor at the next check up (if you can get him there).

I know my ex-charge would have an obvious decline in her abilities after her episodes. Usually after a TIA some mobility and ability's return, but not always depending on the severity of the TIA.

Goodluck .. hugs

cyt · 09-18-2006, 07:16 AM

This sounds exactly like my Dad a few years ago. It was a horrible time for Mom, as she was taking care of him. We never found out what was causing it, but he would get up to walk , with our help, and couldn't do it. Then he would just take small, shuffling baby steps. He would also lean to one side, at times, and then other times he would have a seizure and Mom would have to lay him down and call for lift help. He had previously had a big stroke, so I guess it could have been TIA's. I also wondered if it could be fluid on the brain. They did several MRI's on him over the years and really never found out exactly what it was. Sorry to say, he did end up in a VA nursing home and ultimately couldn't walk, and then couldn't eat. I think he just kept having strokes and that's what finally took him. It's a sad thing, and I pray for you - it's so hard. Please keep us posted - it helps to talk about it. C

mamaduck4 · 09-18-2006, 05:00 PM

Thanks so much for your input. No he doesn't have access to any drugs of any kind. These seem to come out of the blue. He was just sitting there waiting to eat and boom....couldn't walk without assistance.

It is a good idea to jot down what he was doing before these episodes. I sure intend to do that. Maybe it will shed some light on things.

I was at our doctors today for myself..go figure I have a sinus infection and of course I haven't had a decent nights sleep in who knows when. I told the doctor about his latest episode and he told me that it was time to think about finding a place for him. He really thinks it would be the best and feels I need help with this nightmare. It is really a hard decision to make and I don't know if I will be able to do it. My kids think I need to because they don't want to lose their mother too. Sometimes life is really hard! I would hate to put him in a nursing home too soon. I wouldn't want him to feel we deserted him. Sometimes he seems so with it but most the time he isn't.

Thanks for listening.

Jan

Martha H · 09-18-2006, 06:44 PM

Dear Jan,

You doctor is right and your childlren are right. They are already losing you because so much of your mind is occupied with the hassles of AD care. I feel as though I missed a few years of my life. Between working and taking care of my Mom I had no time left for anything else - no recreation, no joy, no social life, no close friends. All my time and all my thoughts were concentrated on Mom.

This is the week when a year ago she fell and broke her hip (Sept 16) .. my brother said he feels guilty still, having tried to keep her safe in his home but unable to prevent her from turning out all the lights and walking down the stairs. It was not his fault, of course, but he still feels responsible.

Mom doesn't know she has been in hospital/rehab/NH for a year already. One year ago when she underwent the operation under general aneasthesia we were terrified that she wouldn't wake up, or would have much worse brain damage than she already had. None of that happened, but she just never managed to walk again. Her mind continues to decline, but slowly. Mom now thinks she has always lived in the 'nice hotel' or 'resort' or sometimes 'Senior Center." She is satisfied. Bill signed her up today for any and every trip or outing they may have. She enjoys those little trips like we would enjoy a trip around the world.

I'm looking forward to seeing her next week.

Love,

Martha