MIL is doing well, no complications with her surgery thank God. She vacuumed and cleaned for like 3 hours today lol; that woman has dedication .

We're in one of those 'button pusher' phases. The dishes came out skanky a day or two ago and I didn't think about it. I started the load and saw MIL had turned off the normal long clean cycle to a short one. I reset it and here's hoping she moves on to something else.

I had an excellent 4th of July, I hope you all did too!

Kat

Kat,

So glad that MIL's surgery was a success and that she's feeling well. Gosh, can she come here and clean for me for three hours? Wish I had that much dedication. No, I wish I had that much strength to do that.

Button pushing huh? Good luck trying to get her to stop that. Just tell her not to push your buttons, because that would not be a good thing! lol

Jackie

Ok, my update is that Mom has to have a ct scan next week. Found this lump in her stomach, and doctor thinks it may be a hernia from all that pushing she did when she was so constipated. Normally it might not be an issue, but she had an abdominal aortic anerysym 2 years ago, and if its near where she had that surgery, and is pressing on her colon, the she'll have to have surgery again. I hate to even think about it.

And I have to have a partial knee replacement. Don't want to yet, so I'm trying these gel shots, which only work in 33% of the people that get them and only last 6 mo. if they do work, and am getting this brace on thursday called an Unloader brace. Looks like something someone would wear that has polio. Supposedly it's suppose to seperate the bones in the knee enough to give me some comfort to walk and be in alot less pain. All this is just band-aid, but one thing at a time. I have to find out about Mom first and get her settled before I can think of surgery for me.

Just had a temporary crown put on today, as my tooth cracked, at the price of $900. Both of our cars had to be fixed, and $1,800 later, they run beautifully.

Now Kat, aren't you sorry you asked for an update??? lol But the good news is that I have all of you to share it with and vent. And that ain't a bad thing!!

Jackie

Mom is progressing. Exelon was bumped up a couple of months ago and doesn't seem to be doing a thing to help her. We are going to talk about stopping it at her next neuro appointment and since that's the last AD drug to try, we'll be marching on without it.

She is still talking, able to eat and toilet for herself, but I have begun to help her with the bath, mostly because her balance is so poor and I'm afraid of a fall. Good news about that is that we can get the bath done in about 1/2 hour and she loves to take a bath, so there is never a problem getting her in there.

Mentally, she has almost completely lost the ability to answer an open-ended question and I now only ask "yes" or "no" questions or give her a choice between 2 or 3 things. She is able to tell me what she wants if I do that.

I am going to a convention for 4 days in August; she will be staying at my brother's house during that time. I am not telling her until a couple of days before because she will not like it at all, but I could use the time away. Her doctor agreed that I should hold off saying anything until just prior because she will be upset about it and begin the packing as soon as she hears.

@ jackieyo

I wish MIL would clean our side for that amount of time LOL! It's scuzzy at best since I've been battling fatigue, oh the joys of fibro lol.

LOL If MIL thought I had buttons she'd totally push them lol! She had quit the cycle from turning all the lights off but she's doing it again. Thank Goodness she's not messing with the dishwasher anymore.

How did the CT scan go with your Mom? I'm sorry about the lump .

How is your knee doing? I hope it feels better with the shots!

Sorry about all the expensives, I understand totally. We never have one thing break at once, it's 1000 things at once and they are always expensive lol!

@ howdy2u

I'm sorry to hear your Mom is progressing . Have you been to the neuro yet?

I hope you'll have a great time at the convention! I understand about not telling beforehand, we do the same for MIL. Any changes really bug her.

Kat

Hello all,

Just wanted to update on the CT Scan Mom had. Well, as I feared it is another abdominal aortic anerysm. It's not as large as the one that she had surgery on a little over 2 yrs ago, only 3.1cm. The last time I was told that anything over 4.5cm is considered dangerous, as it could burst, and most don't make it to the hospital in time. But this time, since her AD has progressed, if it does get larger, then I doubt the decision will be surgery this time. I have an appointment the 28th of july with her specialist, so I guess I'll have to wait and see what he has to say.

I got my unloader brace last week. It seems to help a little, but I'm not yet quite sure. The tech that fitted me for it said it may take as long as 3 weeks before I noticed any difference. And of course it only relieves the pain when you have it on. It's suppose to seperate the bones from touching one another while you wear it, but once its off, your knee goes back to the original position.

I will be starting those Gel shots on the 29th of July. It is a series of three shots once a week. They replace the synovial fluid that you loose in your knee joint. But if they work, they usually only last for 6 months. So hopefully, between the shots and the brace, it will buy me a little more time to get details in order for when I have to have that partial knee replacement. As you all know, so much to do, so much to prepare for, but no one there to cooperate fully with you.

But this time, I have to say, I will be asking, no telling all involved that they need to cooperate with me. No excuses!! I know, I'll threaten them with Mom going to live with them for awhile, that should work!!! lol

Going to have the permanent crown put on tomorrow. Hope that goes well as they also took my partial to make sure it fits on the crown.

Mom passed out on me again the other day. Actually it was after the ct scan. We had gone to eat afterwards. That was a small disaster, as she didn't make it to the bathroom right away, and peed all over the floor in the stall as I was pulling her pants down. And of course, I forgot to put the thick pad on her that I've been making her wear. Cleaned that up and her, ate, and then went home. Had the GRanny Nanny take her out of the car while I went to get the neighbors mail, and when I came back, found them both on the garage floor. Ran in, got the amonia sniffer and she came too. She's had so many tests, and they just can't find a reason that she does this occasionally. Maybe its from the AAA. Who knows! That will be one of my first questions next Monday.

Well friends, thats my update. Hope all is going well with each of you. Would love to hear the good and the bad, as we are all in this together. Please lets all keep in touch more with our goings on.

love to you all,
Jackie

Hey Jackieyo!

I'm sorry about what they found with your mom. I hope the specialist visit goes well!

I hope the brace will bring some relief! There are some days I can't do anything unless I have my wrist braces on (I have fibro). I look like a Star Wars warrior but I always feel better lol. I hope the gel shots work too!

Oh I understand about having people cooperate with you. If our extended family think they have to do something for you, they act like it's the end of the world.

Good luck at the dentist! I'm sorry your mom passed out.

Thanks for postng your update!

Kat

I guess I could update about MIL.

She's doing good, goes in in a couple weeks to have her stitches removed. She's been really good about not lifting heavy stuff. FIL has helped alot too which surprised me.

We're back to sundowning problems here and there. Some days she'll turn all the lights off and some days all the lights are blazing. It is really hard to guess.

That's about all going on here.

Kat

A little over a year after moving into an ALF, Daddy
has adjusted pretty well. He thinks he's been there for
years! Walking outside remains a problem, and I've
had to hire private caregivers to shadow him during the
hours he tends to walk (the ALF can't shadow him every
time he goes out). His decline is slow, but sure. I have
a neighbor across the street who seems to be declining
rapidly, and when I look at that I am amazed at what a
long, slow road this has been for Daddy. I think that has
allowed him a chance to incrementally accept and adjust
to what is happening--at least so far. Knock on wood...
ouch!

Hey Carol!

I'm glad your Dad is adjusting well! I agree the longer the decline takes it makes it easier to adjust. Maybe easier isn't the word I'm looking for.

LOL I haven't knocked on wood so much until I started caregiving LOL! Thank you Lord this house has paneling LOL!

Kat

Kat--
Most days I can find lots of lumber between my ears...
Guess I'm lucky that way...

Jackie, I would conjecture that the the passing out is due to the AAA. These aneurysms can expand quickly. Let me know what they say about this, I'm interested in knowing. My grandmother is stable, but in a very progressive stage of AD. It's sadly surprising that her decline came within such a short period of time, about 1-2 months. She is now in a wheelchair, and rarely speaks, only when she is upset. She also has been performing much more repetitive movements, especially at the dinner table. Last weekend we couldn't get her to stop banging the fork on plate, (until we finally took it away). She also has many bruises on her arms from trying to get up and falling. On the positive end, she pushes herself around in the wheelchair with her feet, so at least she is getting some exercise. I wish she would communicate more, I think she would be happier. I know she still has some cognitive function though, because last week we bought her a cake for her 79th birthday, and I could tell by her facial expression that she understood what was going on (although she didn't smile).

Aitan,
I was also wondering if the passing out was due to the AAA. Although 2+ years ago when she had the surgery on that, it was larger, almost 4.5cm and there was no passing out, and this one is 3.1cm. But her health was also different then, and her AD wasn't as bad until after the surgery. But it will be one of the first questions I'm going to ask the doctor. I will let you all know what he says.

I'm so sorry to hear your grandmother declining so very fast. It must be so hard on you and your family to see this rate of decline. Although I have to say Aitan, I think I would rather it be faster then slower, like the way my Mom is progressing. It's like I keep waiting and waiting for her to get worse, and the anticipation of not knowing what to expect is heartbreaking also. She keeps taking these little baby steps of decline, and its like I just want it to come and finally start accepting it. She's at the point that although I know she has AD, she still doesn't have AD, because there are things that are still "normal".

So glad that Grandma gave you a hint that she knew it was her birthday. It's nice to know that hopefully they remember the good things, like a birthday.

I guess we just all have to stick together here, and hope we can all make our loved ones as happy and comfortable as possible by suggestions and support. Keep in touch again. We're here for you and your family.

Oh and next time she does the banging, you might want to just replace her fork with a plastic one, and maybe even a paper plate instead of one that will make noise. Maybe that's just her way of getting out her frustration and venting, and I think they just may need to do that occasionally. Since she doesn't talk much anymore, it might just be her way of communicating to get everyones attention.

Jackie

good suggestion with the fork Jackie, very insightful.