My Relief Is HERE

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Sister in law and neice arrived this afternoon. They went and visited mother in law after settling in at the house a bit.

Now easy child, Darrin, the baby and I all went to see mother in law yesterday. mother in law was extremely confused. She thought we were sister in law and neice.....knew that darrin and brandon were her grandsons (notice no great) but did not know their names. Then later when I thought I had her firm that we were not sister in law and neice........she completely had no clue who we were. She knew we were family.....otherwise a complete blank. She was also talking to her long dead husband out of the side of her mouth.

Disturbed easy child to the core. But being a nurse she was able to keep her composure and handled it well. We suspect a much bigger stroke within the past 2 days.

sister in law and neice had the same issues tonight. But I'd had a chance to prepare them for it. So did ok with it.

Fortunately, although very confused, mother in law is also very happy. The medications are working well. I haven't seen her this happy in years. And she's eating again. Visiting with the other residents and socializing in the diningroom!!

Tomorrow I have easy child's boys as her baby sitter (her mother in law) skipped town without telling her. So sister in law and neice will be relaxing and visiting with mother in law. Monday we'll start digging in.

But sister in law is giving me a week off from visiting/dealing with mother in law so I can get some of my stuff done. :D Yippie
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
OOPS! Wrong forum. Could a Mod move this for me please.

*this is what happens when you never get enough sleep* lol
 

Kathy813

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Lisa,

I didn't mention this in my update thread but I lost my mother last January. Your description of you mother in law reminds me of the last two months of my mother's life. After she fell Thanksgiving night, she never walked again and slid deeper and deeper into dementia.

She was so unhappy in the hospital at the end (where she had been moved for hip surgery) and was pulling out her tubes and very agitated. She was getting weaker and weaker and refused to eat. Quite honestly, it was a blessing when she died in her sleep. My only regret was that it happened before we could get down there. I had already planned to take off of school for two days and to visit for a long weekend but I got a call at school that she died the day before we had planned on leaving.

I'm sorry that you are going through this. My thoughts are with you and your family.

~Kathy
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
Lisa, something else to consider with your mother in law and her more recent confusion and talking to dead people. Have her pain medications been changed in any way? My grandma (86) recently had surgery and one of her pain pills (I think itwas morphine but I'm not sure) made her appear almost senile. She was talking to her reflection in the mirror thinking it was her mother (my great-grandmother died 20 years ago), pointed to a storage tub in her bedroom and told my uncle that he needed to go in there and get his sister because she crawled in there over an hour ago and hadn't come out yet, and was also talking to my grandpa who died two years ago.....just really bizarre stuff. And this was AFTER she was released from the hospital. I think she was doing some of it while still in the hospital too but that was chalked up to stronger medications at the time. Granted, Grandma isn't quite as sharp as she once was but has no really obvious deficits by any means. Sometimes medications can affect older people in some very strange ways. Of course, with your mother in law's issues and the refusing to eat much....it could be any number of things. But, this is something to keep in mind seeing as how she's probably on some heavy duty pain medications.

I'm glad you've got others in town now though to help out. I'm sure that will (and is) a huge relief for you. Hugs! (Can't wait to see you next week!)
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Suz I intended to post this in watercooler. :)

Kathy I'm so sorry you lost your mother. I'm also praying mother in law goes in her sleep and peacefully.

Stang.......I don't think it's the pain medications. Yes they were increased considerably during the last hospital stay. That is why doctor ego had her stay for as long as he did. She was having the issues when he removed the extra dose for a couple of days. She couldn't stand the pain so he put her back on the increased dosage. She uses the patches. And I'd noticed some of this behavior before the medication change and the trip to the hospital. It just has become increasingly severe as time passes.

I even asked easy child if the anti-anxiety medication could be causing her problems. But she doesn't think so. psychiatrist dosed her carefully.....she's less than half the dose an adult would take...due to her advanced age. He was afraid of over medicating her.

I think she's has a series of TIAs, and maybe a fairly larger stroke within the past 2 days or so. She's favoring one side as well, although there is weakness there is no evident paralysis. It isn't really surpising as doctor ego took her off her blood thinners as part of the medications he removed that could extend her life as she requested.

It's a steady pattern. As more days pass, she grows increasingly confused. Yet every once in a while will have a moment of clarity, then right back to confused.

I'm am very grateful the anxiety medication is working so well. She was so very aggitated and anxious before she went into the hospital this last time. It hurt to see her that way. Nice to see her smile and hear her laugh again.

Can't wait to see you next week either!! :D

Hugs
 
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witzend

Well-Known Member
I'm glad that you are getting some relief, Lisa. And that mother in law is feeling happier, if not necessarily better.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
That confusion or dementia can be devastating to the family. It really confused my kids when my mom didnt remember them. Mom remembered Billy longest but then he lived with her more and she remembered Tony longer too. I went first. Then the other two kids. She forgot her dog last. LOL. Actually her dog was one of the reasons I wouldnt put her in a nursing home. I felt she would mourn her dog too badly.

It is very common for people to think that people are other people. My mom thought Jamie was her brother because he wore the Marine uniform. Her brother was a Marine. I dont know why she didnt think he was my father...lol. She seemed to remember my dad somewhat when he came to visit us one time but it was like it was a very old memory that she couldnt quite pull out but she knew she should remember him. She kept saying...I think I know you. Dad just said...yes Shirley, you do from a long time ago. He didnt tell her they were ever married.

I used to bring out my baby pictures and show her the baby and tell her see the baby, that was your baby. She would say...oh no, I never had a baby. I would say oh yes, you had a baby. That baby is me! Never got thru to her.
 
M

ML

Guest
I'm just glad to hear she's feeling good. Adding my hugs of support to you and your family xo mL
 
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