Tried using the chat but guess it can't be seen or people are just not used to having it available.

We have turned another corner. Mom is sundowing in the extreme. She has gone 5 days and nights without sleep more than once lately. We have tried resperidal (sp), and Ambien. The Ambien works for a couple of nights and then she is up again. During one of these sundowing times she was wandering in the house and fell and broke her arm. It swelled up so she is in a splint, we may get a cast on Tuesday. My question is about Oxycodone. Should I worry about her becoming addicted? It seems to help with the pain but makes her more agitated and upset. It also interferes with her communication, what there is left. We have moved into the next phase so are making changes in the house. I now have a bedside commode, and a hospital bed on the way. It should be here on Saturday. She, for the most part can't stand up anymore, and has forgotten how to walk. The last 3 weeks have been very busy and hard.

We have stopped the aricept but are still on the namenda, for now. The family is considering stopping all the meds and just letting her go to whatever stage is next.

I have been using adult diapers but the ones we have access to up here are incredibly ridiculous. What brand of "underwear" is the best and what size do I get for someone around 130 lbs. They seem to go from small to large and nothing inbetween.

Any help, suggestions, etc would really be appreciated.

Hi Linda,
I never found a diaper or a pull up that would hold all that Bill put out. The cheaper brands or store brands seemed to work as well as the brand names.

I was so glad when Bill passed through the wondering stage. that was when the lock went on his bedroom door.
I can't imagine what it would be like taking care of a LO when they have a broken arm. That cast could make a good weapon so be careful. I took care of Bill when I had a broken foot and also when I had a a seperated elbow. It wasn't easy but it can be done.

I will be glad when I get back where I can get on the chat line and talk.

As for Mom getting addicted to pain meds. My thought is so what? At this stage what difference does it make as long as they are comfortable?

Thank you, that is what I was thinking but wanted to make it wasn't a selfish thought.

Try Mom on a lower dose and work up to what keeps the pain manageable. I found that pain killers beyond Tylenol would cause Dad to hallucinate badly.

Hi, Linda. I really don't remember if we've met before.. ..I took care of my mom in my home for 18 months until her death in Oct, 2007. Anyway............

Mom fell and broke her hip while I was caring for her and I insisted she have pain medication. I didn't have to worry about addiction 'cuz she was allergic to narcotics, but, I sure wish I could have had something stronger than darvocet. I'm sure your mom is in pain right now, especially without a hard cast, and I think you should do whatever it takes to ease her discomfort. If you are dispensing her medication (as opposed to her self-medicating) there is very little chance she will become addicted.

I'm sorry that she seems to be failing by losing her inability to walk and communicate effectively. Is this a recent downturn since she fell? If so, she may improve a little once you get her pain under control and can ease up on the narcotics. My mom had a big decline right after she fell, but did come back up somewhat (never to her pre-fall level) once things calmed down and she wasn't in constant pain. I hope you will see some improvement, too.

As for adult diapers, I always used Depends brand and found them very absorbent. They have a small/medium size that should fit her just about right, at her current weight. Tena brand are also good. Hope you can find something that works well for you.

Hi Karenlee

I am dispensing her meds for her and giving only what the prescription says, at least until tomorrow when we see the doctor.

Her failing had started before the fall and actually was the reason she fell. She began with 5 days and nights of no sleep then had 2 nights of sleep with ambien and then another 4 days and nights without sleep. It was this last bit of no sleep and wandering in the house when she had her fall. I saw it happen and just couldn't get to her in time to stop the fall. There was nothing in her way but the carpeted floor but I guess that was enough to cause the break. Thank you for the info on the adult diapers. I got a brand that is just hard to get on and off as well as being way too big for her. Will give another brand a try.

MundeeB...don't know that I can cut the dosage because of the pain, anything less than the 10 mg and she really starts to complain and cry. So we are stuck for the moment.

Will update everyone after the doctor appt tomorrow.

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm sure you are exhausted and simply going on high-alert energy. I feel for you, Hon. It was a hard time when my mom fell and bruised her ribs. Tylenol was much better for my mom too than pain meds, which made her hallucinations worse. I can't imagine what you're going through. My thoughts and prayers are with you both. You try to get some rest when she does, okay.

Linda,
I also agree that the meds for pain are really needed and not to worry about addiction. You may want to ask the pharmacist or doctor if you can give one tylenol in between the doses of the oxycodone. It may relieve her pain for a bit longer so you can delay the oxycodone for awhile longer.

I've noticed the same thing with Mom. I have her on Vicodin occasionally for arthritis pain, and she does seem to become more aggitated when I give it to her. But it does help her pain, and gets her to sleep faster at night then she normally would without it. One thing I think we all have found out with them is that the more meds they take, the more they seem to change for the worse. Look what happen with Jezza's grandmother with an antibiotic.

So my theory is give to them what basically makes them comfortable, and on the selfish side, what gives us a bit more rest.

I use Depends Womans Large Super Plus absorbency. She is also 130 pounds, but has a wide butt, so they fit pretty well. Mom isn't totally incontinent, but has has some major accidents with both, and they seem to hold pretty much. I pay $19.46 for 26 of them. Not cheap, but the Walmart brand just wasn't as good and were uncomfortable for her. I'm going to start doing some looking up of coupons for all this stuff I get for Mom. I buy adult wipes for her butt, and these bathing clothes that you don't have to rinse off to wash her. Seems like she's in the spongebath stage and showers are now a thing of the past. Those things with the desitin I buy for her butt are really getting expensive, so as soon as I have time, I'm going to see if they have coupons on line for all this stuff.

As far as your Mom wandering, I have this great alarm that I got at Radio Shack. Its the most annoying thing, but I hear it and Mom doesn't. There's a unit that goes in her bedroom, and the other part in my room. As soon as she gets up out of bed, I know right away. Believe me, it will wake the heaviest sleeper. Ask Samesu, she has one too!! Many times you want to throw it against the wall, but it sure beats not knowing if they've gotten up without your knowledge.

And yes, try to get rest when your Mom does. I wasn't one for sleeping during the day, but I have to say when I have a bad night with Mom, when she naps, I nap awhile. When she had a UTI recently, she was up as many as 7 times nightly. Boy did I nap then!!

Take care friend,
Jackie



As far as the Namenda, I don't know, at this point is it really doing any good? She sounds like she's in later stages now, and I don't know that it really benefits your Mom at this point in time. And I always think that one medicine could be reacting with another and whatever they don't need, then why take a chance for more aggitation.


(I don't know how this paragraph got down here, but I don't know how to move it)

Hi Linda. Thinking about you and wondering how mom is doing since her visit to the doctor?

Me too. Hope you've not had trouble with the meds changes and have found something to help give her some comfort.

You holding up okay?

Update,

The visit with the doctor went well, Mom got her cast on. It goes all the way up to the shoulder. In two weeks she will get the shorter one if it is healing properly. She has been in a lot of pain and on the pain meds constantly. Today she "passed out" or her brain just quit while my husband was holding her to get her on the commode. This happened three times in less than 4 hrs. She fell asleep at 11:30 a.m. and is still asleep now and it is just after 8 pm. I will be alone with her tomorrow and hope that doesn't happen with me, don't think I can hold her up. Plus had a very bad senior moment myself and forgot to get the pain meds refilled this afternoon so she will be w/o all day tomorrow. This should really be fun. Pray that I have the physical strength to deal with this and that something will work out for the refill in the morning. The doc will be making a house call on Wednesday, couldn't get her before that. Will try to update everyone after that visit.

Got a hospital bed on Saturday and she is now in the living room because we could get the bed into her room. The hallway was too narrow. Hope everyone else is doing well. I don't have much time on here lately.

Update,

The visit with the doctor went well, Mom got her cast on. It goes all the way up to the shoulder. In two weeks she will get the shorter one if it is healing properly. She has been in a lot of pain and on the pain meds constantly. Today she "passed out" or her brain just quit while my husband was holding her to get her on the commode. This happened three times in less than 4 hrs. She fell asleep at 11:30 a.m. and is still asleep now and it is just after 8 pm. I will be alone with her tomorrow and hope that doesn't happen with me, don't think I can hold her up. Plus had a very bad senior moment myself and forgot to get the pain meds refilled this afternoon so she will be w/o all day tomorrow. This should really be fun. Pray that I have the physical strength to deal with this and that something will work out for the refill in the morning. The doc will be making a house call on Wednesday, couldn't get her before that. Will try to update everyone after that visit.

Got a hospital bed on Saturday and she is now in the living room because we could get the bed into her room. The hallway was too narrow. Hope everyone else is doing well. I don't have much time on here lately.

Watch out for that cast Linda. it could make a good weapon.
I hope you get along without the meds. Maybe the meds are what made her pass out, or maybe she just fell asleep from them. I know I can take a pain pill and I'm out right away. It could be more discomfort with the cast on than pain. They're not comfortable and she probable doesn't understand what is going on.
Good luck to both of you today.

Can't the hospital bed be taken apart and fit down the hallway. Bill's came apart just like a regular bed.

Thank you Joyce for the info on the bed will have Steve take a look at it. Don't know right now if that is the case it is an older bed that the church had on hand.

Another update. It is not the pain meds and yes she is actually passing out with the eyes rolling up into her head and the whole nine yards. She is in the hospital as of last night and I am getting ready to head down there now. She had a peaceful night but I still don't have any information on why this is happening. Will try really hard to keep you guys up to date.

Thank you for all of your prayers.

Back from the hospital and there is no news as to why mom is passing out. All the tests have come back negative. She is healthy.
Her BP has been high all day today but she did not pass out for any of them today. They are keeping her for a few days and will monitor
everything as well as do some physical therapy. Will let you know as I hear any news.