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Robinjopo1

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My son woke me at 2:30 saying mom needed me. I came downstairs and she had fallen and couldn't get up. My son had tried, I tried, so I woke my husband and he lifted her to her feet.

She is standing by the bed and says my Knee is going out again, my Knee is going out again. She said she thought she had a stroke in her knee, but she was standing on it. Strokes don't come and go.

When I was working to lift her, she grabbed the bed but said she didn't have strong to hold on. BUT, I handed her a glass of water and she held it just fine.

She said she had been yelling and ringing her bell since 1:00. My husband said He didn't go to bed until 1:00 and he didn't hear anything. My door was open. The dogs didn't make any noise etc.

She was up walking this morning. I'm very torn on how to handle the situation.
 
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My son woke me at 2:30 saying mom needed me. I came downstairs and she had failed and couldn't get up. My son had tried, I tried, so I woke my husband and he lifted her to her feet.

She is standing by the bed and says my Knee is going out again, my Knee is going out again. She said she thought she had a stroke in her knee, but she was standing on it. Strokes don't come and go.

When I was working to lift her, she grabbed the bed but said she didn't have strong to hold on. BUT, I handed her a glass of water and she held it just fine.

She said she had been yelling and ringing her bell since 1:00. My husband said He didn't go to bed until 1:00 and he didn't hear anything. My door was open. The dogs didn't make any noise etc.

She was up walking this morning. I'm very torn on how to handle the situation.
She is a bit confused I'd say. You better start keeping a log of the behavior because this is how it starts. A call in the night, some odd story that doesn't make a lot of sense. AND the first thing if to check and see if they have a UTI, older women often have it and don't know or have symptoms but get discombobulated. Have her pee in a clear cup and see if the urine is perfectly clear, if not, have her checked.
Often times the care giver thinks they had a dream that got them confused. It is really strange. My aunt called my mother and said she was stranded in a town several miles away by the side of the road where she used to live and that her dog, took off across the road into the woods and she couldn't get her to come back. A very detailed and believeable story. After hanging up and before traveling, Mom called her phone, yep, she was home. This was in the middle of the night, next day, she remembered nothing of it.
That was when we knew she was having problems, very good at hiding them.. Covering up we found out. When drilling down it was worse that what we thought. I checked her medicine bottles for dates and how many pills left. She had not been taking them. I have never regretted keeping a written account of this type of thing. This is why I urge you to start, even though it may not happen again for months. Even if you think it won't be useful or needed, do it anyway. Just get a notebook and jot it down.
 
She is a bit confused I'd say. You better start keeping a log of the behavior because this is how it starts. A call in the night, some odd story that doesn't make a lot of sense. AND the first thing if to check and see if they have a UTI, older women often have it and don't know or have symptoms but get discombobulated. Have her pee in a clear cup and see if the urine is perfectly clear, if not, have her checked.
Often times the care giver thinks they had a dream that got them confused. It is really strange. My aunt called my mother and said she was stranded in a town several miles away by the side of the road where she used to live and that her dog, took off across the road into the woods and she couldn't get her to come back. A very detailed and believeable story. After hanging up and before traveling, Mom called her phone, yep, she was home. This was in the middle of the night, next day, she remembered nothing of it.
That was when we knew she was having problems, very good at hiding them.. Covering up we found out. When drilling down it was worse that what we thought. I checked her medicine bottles for dates and how many pills left. She had not been taking them. I have never regretted keeping a written account of this type of thing. This is why I urge you to start, even though it may not happen again for months. Even if you think it won't be useful or needed, do it anyway. Just get a notebook and jot it down.

She is being treated for a UTI now. Plus the area (knee) wouldn't come and go like she said.

Day before yesterday was was "off " a bit. I came home from taking my son to school and she said "where have you been? Where have you been?" It completely shocked me because she knew son had a field trip. I was on my regular schedule so I wasn't even late getting back home. Then she talked to my husband and was kind of complaining that we aren't having Thanksgiving until the following week when my brothers can come. It's unlike her to complain about something like that. He was shocked by her actions too.
 
she might have had a small ICH,it affects the memory too,unfortunatley,
there's a shyt load of things that can go wrong,you said she's been treated right now for UTI,next time she has to pee,
ask her to pee ina cup,if it still has a strong rancid odor,then there's a good chance the anti-biotics don't work
the way they should.

you can do this; ask her to take your hands,like saying hello,squeze hard; level of strenght the same ->ok,if not,slight worry
ask her to raise her hands fully starightened while you have your hands slightly pushing them down,ask her to stop,close her eyes and keep them there,
if she manages to keep them level ->ok,one side drops,slight worry,
ask her to lay on the bed,raise both legs,one at a time,if no problems ->ok...

if there's been a minor stroke "upstairs"it will prolly leave some traces and that will be found with some lesser strenght on either side
of the body.
 
she might have had a small ICH,it affects the memory too,unfortunatley,
there's a shyt load of things that can go wrong,you said she's been treated right now for UTI,next time she has to pee,
ask her to pee ina cup,if it still has a strong rancid odor,then there's a good chance the anti-biotics don't work
the way they should.



you can do this; ask her to take your hands,like saying hello,squeze hard; level of strenght the same ->ok,if not,slight worry
ask her to raise her hands fully starightened while you have your hands slightly pushing them down,ask her to stop,close her eyes and keep them there,
if she manages to keep them level ->ok,one side drops,slight worry,
ask her to lay on the bed,raise both legs,one at a time,if no problems ->ok...

if there's been a minor stroke "upstairs"it will prolly leave some traces and that will be found with some lesser strenght on either side
of the body.

Thanks. I see you have learned a lot in your training. :)
 
My Grandmother was like that, the brain is a funny critter and can momentarily short-circuit causing confusion and no control over the muscles. The doc says cases like that are very common and can come and go without warning in the elderly. Nothing you can really do unless you want her to sleep in your bedroom or you in hers or GOD forbid a nursing home.
 
Signs of getting old? When I was 20, I woke up at 2am realizing I had a dream & invented a new form of math. I wrote it all down, 2, 3, 4 pages. Brilliant. Went to bed. In the morning I remembered doing it. Looking at the pages, they weren't in English or comprehendible. Pure rubbish.

Oh well. And that was at 20 years old... wait until I'm old!

BTW, your husband may get her a bullhorn, but he needs to put a piece of tape over the battery's terminal.
 
I'd say it is the UTI, make sure it clears up, often doctors don't do a culture, they just treat the urinalysis that shows bacteria, but not what kind or what medicine is best for it. they just order something with a broad range and hope that does it . In women it is usually E Coli. I know. Yuck. You may notice she goes "off" whenever she gets one. People shouldn't do that normally, but in early dementia you will see that. It may be the only time she displays odd behavior for years. Keep notes, like I said.
 
Mom decided much of her problems were caused by her antidepressants. She cut down then stopped. During the time, she was in bed. She was just taking little pieces to keep a little in her system. She was doing great for 4 days . She stopped completely and today she is mad at the world. She is also back in bed. I told her to take a little. I don't know if she will.
 
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Mom decided much of her problems were called by her antidepressants. She cut down then stopped. During the time, she was in bed. She was just taking little pieces to keep a little in her system. She was doing great for 4 days . She stopped completely and today she is mad at the world. She is also back in bed. I told her to take a little. I don't know if she will.
I’m far from an expert on antidepressants but do know enough that stopping abruptly isn’t wise. I also think too many doctors dispense them like candy way too easily. Good luck getting through this.
 
Robin,

Just love her. We all start confused and oblivious to the world. And for many people, they end in that same state. It's really hard for the loved ones to watch it. But be grateful that you are there and able to help her in her years of need.

I'll give an example that is awful. This past week I read about an elderly man who was put into a care facility 3 months ago. Family would visit. They discovered that the staff never properly bathed him and his 'privates' were so bad they had gangrene. He died within days. As long as it's possible, I think it's best to keep family at home.
 
Robin,

Just love her. We all start confused and oblivious to the world. And for many people, they end in that same state. It's really hard for the loved ones to watch it. But be grateful that you are there and able to help her in her years of need.

I'll give an example that is awful. This past week I read about an elderly man who was put into a care facility 3 months ago. Family would visit. They discovered that the staff never properly bathed him and his 'privates' were so bad they had gangrene. He died within days. As long as it's possible, I think it's best to keep family at home.

There are some horror stories about the uncircumcised elderly.
 

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