Mom had a ultra sound of the carotid artery last week. The hospital called back and said she had to have more pictures taken, so we would have to return to have them done again on tues. Tues morning woke her up, let her have her coffee, and said "we have to go back to take more pictures at 11am. Oh my, what a struggle that was. Practically had to drag her in the car.

In the meantime, her doctor received a letter from our attorney. Mom and I were involved in a car accident four years ago, and Mom couldn't answer any questions during the deposition. So the attorney needed a letter from the doctor saying Mom has AD.

Well, she never had a memory test, so the doctor could not legally state that until she did. Great, so now what do I tell Mom?

Well the nurse said she talked to the doctor, and said to come in and tell mom that we needed to talk about the ultra sound. And then the doctor would somehow slip in about the memory test.

Yeah right! Would you believe she caught right on. Doctor told us the test was good, that the blockages were no worse than the last ultra sound, but just to make sure everything else was fine, and she does this with all her over 80 patients, she was going to have a memory test.

She said the nurse would be right in, and it wouldn't take long. Well as soon as the doctor walked out, Mom started. What's this all about. Now they want to make me look like I'm insane, like I'm crazy. No, I've been coming to this doctor for 20 years, and now she thinks I'm insane. Lets go, this is ridiculous!

I calmed her down, and the nurse came in and started asking her questions. Talk about mean. (mom, not the nurse) Well needless to say, she flunked the test with flying colors!

The nurse didn't even have to finish the whole test. The doctor came back in and Mom started yelling at her. Well anyhow, she finally calmed down, said goodbye to the doctor, and off we went. What a tramatic experience(for me).

I felt really bad for Mom, so about 5 minutes into driving home, I said "Mom, I'm really sorry that you had to go through that, but------and that was it, never had to finish the sentence. She never knew what I was talking about. She had already forgotten. Needless to say, I wanted to just pull over and cry. As much as you know that that's going to happen, when it does, it still gets to you.

Well guys, this wasn't meant to be soooo long. Sorry. Sometimes I just go on and on, and other times I'm at a loss for words. I guess this was just one of those on and on times. Thanks for always being there.

Love,
jackie

Dr. Office Visits, & Memory Test's? Those are no small Potatoes, my friend, and I think we "ALL" know that!

Let me tell you a little story about Mom's first Mini-Mental-Status-Test, and how her sweet Doctor, made it go oh so much smoother.

I had been begging him for years to do one. He final said O.K. We will just act like it is a routine visit for her Diabetes, and just slip the test in there? I wasn't sure how he thought she wouldn't be on to him? Well, Mom would not 'allow' me to go to The Doctor's Office back then, very private, almost paranoid. I was staying in her Condo, with her, trying to get all her ducks in a row, before I moved to Montana. It took me every second of 1 1/2 years, like pulling molars!

Anyway, Her Doctor gives her the test, then asked her "How you doing Ms. ****? Still playing Tennis & Bridge?" she says "Fine, & Yes Thank You!" He practically high-fived her, on her way out the door, and then added..."By the way, your Daughter has been calling, and she thinks you are losing your marbles, what is that all about?"

OHMYGOD! She came home spitting mad! She still has the same nit-witted Primary! GRRRRRRRRR!

She has since scored a "27" pretty good, and then aced one for her Insurance company (not good) and she has stage "6" AD. I don't think those tests are very affective?

Sky,
Oh my God! How the heck could a doctor say something so stupid. What an idiot!

You know Sky, I didn't realize there was a score. Thanks for the info. I'm going to call the doctors office tomorrow and ask for a copy. Is there anything else I would need that for? Normally, I would have asked for one, but I was so flustered and sick (cold) I couldn't think of anything but getting home. Is the stage on the report also?

Thanks and love,
Jackie

Ann,
Oh that's how you spell traumatic! I struggled with it for a few seconds and then thought, phooey!!!

Thank you for my blessings again! I am feeling a bit better. Thanks for asking.

Can you do spell check on here? If so, how? You know I'm still learning on this computer, so any help is always appreciated.

Love,
jackie

Jackie, all you really need to know is the score, if you Google "mini mental state" or "folstein test" it will tell you the questions asked.

I don't think it's very effective, because mom can tell you what city and state she's in right now and fold a piece of paper in half and put it on the floor - she always does pretty good on this test but the exam room is also very quiet and there are no distractions. If they gave it to her in the middle of a busy store I bet she'd do a lot worse.

LOL! Yeah, I know! Numbscull. Oh, there are just not enough adjectives to discribe this guy!

My understanding is that there are 30 qustions. This is the first 'little' test that they do, and no, they certainly do not tell you their Stage. If that was so, my Mom's in January of 2007, would have said she was perfectly normal, and she needs a daily nurse for insulin injections ($3,000.00 per Month!) and can not tell you what she had for breakfast, two minutes later? She does not know the 'name' for very basic objects, so no, I do not think the test means much.

But, you said you needed it for a Law Suit? You will probably need a Letter from her Doctor, telling them why she could not answer any of the questions correctly. I'm not sure why they needed the test. Just trying to weasel out of it, like they always do!

Although I must say, Mom's Insurance Agency Nurse, that she Aced the test with, must have known something was up, because she said "So, Mrs. **** You have a couple of Nurses coming to your house, do you know what for & how often they come?" Mom says "I Dunno?" They accepted her claim! "WHEW!"

Has her Doctor even given her a Dementia Diagnosis? Even if it is Vasular Dementia, that counts! Your Mom wouldn't need a full time caregiver if she wasn't pretty sick, either? And that should count, also!

Jackie,

So sorry your day was so bad. At least forgetting about the doctor and the test is a blessing for mom, if not for you, too.

Don't beat yourself up about any of this -- you do what you have to do because it's the right thing to do. And then you crawl somewhere and cry. We all do it.

Come cry on my shoulder if you'd like. I wish I could do more for you and take away some of that hurt.

Gentle ((((hugs)))) for you.

Howdy and Sky,
I was in the room when they gave Mom the test. The nurse asked her to fold the paper in half and place it on the floor. She literally threw it like a paper airplane. Was really kinda funny. The nurse smirked and I just let out a little giggle, which of course Mom heard.

30 questions? Well, Mom flunked the test with probably ten. After that, the nurse asked her no more. The year was 2006, she did not know the day, did not know the date. She could not spell "world" backwards, could not repeat "apple, baby, pear" within 1 minute of being asked again. And when the nurse wrote on the paper, "Close your eyes" and told mom to do what the paper said, Mom kept on saying "it says close your eyes". She just didn't get it

The doctor said that thats all she needed for the attorney. She knows she had dementia, but I guess she needed to send proof before she could confirm that with an attorney. So basically Mom flunked all of the test that had been given to her. Not surprised, but am. Sometimes it just seems that there's nothing wrong with her. Just now she reminded me about her eye drops. I usually have to fight with her. Oh well, I still don't always understand this disease.

Love to you both,
Jackie

Karenlee,
You know, the best part of this disease is when they forget the pain that they've been through whether physical or mental. I guess we can be thankful for that.

Thank you for the shoulder and the hugs. It's always so comforting to always know that there always be someone to understand.

Love to you and back at ya with hugs,
Jackie

The only reason Helen ever needed to have the test was that the insurance company required it every year before they would pay for AD meds. helen knew what the test was for and always cried afterward. Finally I said enough was enough. I didn't think the meds were helping anyway and i wasn't going to put her through that for nothing.

yes they quickly forget the pain but it sure stayed with me. Jackie the doctors usually only use the 3 stage scale which doesn't tell you much anyway.

Auh Yes, the forgetting. When I was staying full-time with my Mom, they say "Pick Your Battles" and we did. And they were some big ones! She would stick her feet in the mud, like a Mule in a Mud Lake!

Only about anything dangerous to her. Like a broken refridgerator, bauld tires, or putting up christmas lights outside, in the rain, with no bulbs, in some of the sockets!!!

It would get a bit heated....and off she wiould go....and I would walk around draggin' my chin on the ground, for hours, or for days, feeling sooooo remorseful.

She would come bouncing back in through the front door "Hi Honey, how was your Day?" With a big smile on her face? I must have looked like a Cartoon Character? Say, What? Auh, yes the forgetting, sometimes a blessing.

Oh, Jackie, that was a tough day. Whew! You deserve a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge, sister. Glad you made it through. Hugs to you.