Our dear Jackie had to take her mom to the hospital yesterday morning with some very serious health issues. I have no other details but would ask for all to send a prayer their way. Thanks

Oh, Jackie, You and your Dear Mom are in my prayers!

Count me in on sending prayers your way, Jackie and Mom.

Karen, did Jackie say what was going on?

My Prayers too! Thanks for letting us know, Karenlee.

Has anyone heard from Jackie? I hope things are under control.

The last I heard is that Jackie's mom is home now. Things have been changing rapidly and hospice has been brought in. Please continue your prayers.

My prayers are added, Dear Jackie.

Praying!

Kat

Praying for you and your family, Jackie.

My prayers are also with you!

My dear, dear friends,
First of all I want to apologize to all of you. As usual, you are all so very thoughtful and caring, and I have completely ignored your requests for information and have not responded to your thoughts of prayers. Not intentionally, but none the less, rude of me. It seems trying to get to this computer to even read has been near impossible, and by this time at night, I can't even think.

Last Saturday at 6 in the morning I brought Mom to the bathroom. She passed out on me as she had started doing again for awhile. In fact when Lori was here is when she started again. (ok, so maybe it wasn't Lori, but I had to say it)

She was out longer than usual, and then stopped breathing. I called 911, they told me to try to put her on the floor, and as we did that, she started breathing again. The dispatcher was going to give me instructions for CPR. Thank God I didn't have to!!

To make a long story short, she ended up having severe Pneumonia, fluid around the heart, another UTI (which I had been nursing for three weeks prior) and who knows what else.

She stayed in the hospital until Wed. and of course I don't need to tell you what we went through while there. Aggitated is not a strong enough word. They tried Ativan on her and it didn't help much, and I knew xanac would make her worse as it did before. We had to stay with her day and night.

While there of course her Dementia got worse, and she also cannot walk. We're not quite sure why, although she does have arthritis in both knees, but suspect it is part of the disease, plus when we do try to get her up, she passes out. New meds have been tried for the orthostatic hypotension, which is basically that her pressure drops when rising. And they have also tried various blood pressure meds, and nothing seems to be helping.

She hasn't eaten I would guess more than 3-500 calories in the last three weeks. A feeding tube would not be an option as she would pull the darn thing right out as she does with the oxygen she has to have occasionally. And we have decided not to force feed her. She has a DNR from years ago, so when she was able, she made that clear.

Before coming home, the doctor prescribed Depakote and Haldol. I took her off the Depakote a few days ago, and the Haldol today. They seem to be making her worse. So we just have her on some blood pressure meds and an anti depressant which she's been taking for about a year.

She will not sleep, I mean she will just not sleep. Benadryl was suggested at night, and the first night it worked fairly well, but no more. Tylenol PM was suggested today, so I'm trying that tonight.

I was able to get hospice. They are really wonderful, wonderful people. Don't believe what you read about all these criteria that they have to have to be on hospice, not true. I got approved within an hour! Some meds are free, as are most supplies. I got a hospital bed with a air mattress, a commode, a lift recliner, a transport chair, wipes, diapers, depends etc. There is basically nothing that they won't give you. Three times a week an aid to bathe her, a nurse 3 times a week, a volunteer once a week, a chaplin, a social worker, a person to come in 2-3 times a week and give her a massage, and most of all, alot of moral support.

The bad thing is now I have to have basically 24/7 care. I just can't handle her myself. And my brother and sister in law and my sister have really come through for me, but we just can't do it ourselves. We are all exhausted. I have my right hand person Colleen during the day, Monday thru thursday, (don't know what I would do without that girl), someone after she leaves, and someone during the night.

I have been so very lucky. The three girls I have from the agency are wonderful. One is only 22 years old, and had previously worked with Alz. patients for three years. Boy does she know her craft. She's wonderful as the others are.

Thank God Mom had some money saved as that's what I've been using. I would have had to borrow if I didn't have that. Of course depending how long Mom stays with us, it won't last long. I've already paid $1,200 for a week of care, and that hasn't been 24/7 yet. I've taken alot of hours and so has brother, wife and my sister and husband.

I've made this much too long, but you know how long winded I can be, so I'll end this with a heartfelt thank you, and let you know that I am always, always with you all. If your ears were all ringing I'm sure its because everytime someone suggests something to me in regards to Mom, I say, "My support group says this, or my support group says that." You are always with me all.

Please know I am not abandoning you, and will catch up as soon as I get on some sort of schedule. Thank you all again for thinking of me and for always being there. I love you all!

Jackie

P.S. Thank you also for all the private messages. I have received them all. What a group you are, what a group!!!

Jackie, thanks so much for the update. It sounds like a very difficult situation indeed, but I'm glad to hear that you have plenty of support both from your family and from hospice. Hang in there. We're all on your side here...

Oh - I meant to say something regarding sleeping at night. I struggled with the same thing this last month when Laurette's ear infection was really terrible. Her discomfort was keeping her awake, but she was getting more and more exhausted as each day went by. Her exhaustion was making her even more disoriented than normal and she was highly disfunction, peeing all over the place, etc.

I tried a couple different sleep aids that only gave negative effects, and she was so doped up on other meds that I didn't want to put more medicine into her system anyway. I found some chewable herbal sleep pills at Rite-Aid that have melatonin in them. Two of those with a very small glass of wine and she was asleep in 20 minutes! I much prefer the natural remedy if there is one, and this totally worked for us.

Thanks for the update! I'm praying still for you and your family!

Kat

Well today was a really bad day for Mom. I had my husband bring her down to the family room before he left for work this morning. We only have three steps, so with the transport chair we were able to get her down. She was doing ok, and then the nurse came to bathe her. She decided she could do it right in the recliner. In preparation of the bath, she decided she wanted to use the commode which we have not been doing, as she was getting dizzy.

The nurse and Colleen put her on the commode and bingo, out she went. She was out at least 5 minutes this time. I was finally glad though that someone from the medical profession got to see it first hand. The nurse said it looked like she was having TIA's.

She did fairly well a good part of the day, and then wanted to use the commode again. Colleen lifted her to the commode and out she went. But this time she wasn't coming to, but still breathing. She was out for awhile, came to for about 30 seconds and then out again she went.

Guess I panicked this time and decided to call 911. She did this four times. Out for at least 5 minutes, came to for about 30 seconds and then out again. I really thought this time it was a full stroke as she wasn't talking.

Of course to take her to the hospital is an option, but we have decided that doing so would start the testing process all over again, and she's had them all. And we have also decided that we won't allow any invasive testing. The medics monitored her, took blood pressure, put on an oxygen mask as we had just that nose thingy in her, and stayed with us basically.

We had them bring her up to her room in bed, and cleaned her up (she had had a bowel movement while this was all going on) and I sent them on there way.

Funny but we had been waiting for the priest since last week to come to give her the sacrament of the sick (healing) and he shows up not too long after. We really did not think she was going to make it as she was breathing heavily, not speaking and basically looked like it was the end.

Well, she is now doing pretty good. Talking, laughing a bit, and sleeping. Oh, and slept through the night last night with the tylenol PM Jezz but I will remember the herbal pills in case they stop working. My helper is up with her now, and everything seems to be quite, so I hope she can get more rest again tonight.

This thing about not taking any measures for reviving I have to say is really hard. As much as I knew I shouldn't call the medics, my fingers took over and I couldn't dial that phone fast enough. But wishes should be respected as much as possible, and this was Mom's wish before Alz., and I must respect it as much as I can.

I called the nurse from hospice and she came out again after the second incident. Seems like Mom may also be having seizures as we to told her that Mom was also grinding her teeth when passed out. Seems like thats a sign of them.

I was always hoping that Mom would never have a stroke. I have seen the pain in the eyes of a family member that did and its something I didn't want to ever happen. I'm just praying that God is listening to me when I ask Him to let her die peacefully. My heart aches knowing that there may be a good chance that a stroke will happen.

Well my friends, again thank you for your prayers and support. Mom is asleep hopefully for the night, so I think I'll turn in. Although one of my angel caregivers is here, and I have gotten some wonderful women, you really just never fully get a restful sleep.

Jackie