I received two e-mails from a reader who needs advice. Some people don't like to post messages themselves for their own reasons - she gave me permission to post the e-mails for her. I am going to post her first one, my reply, and her second one. I would appreciate it if you would jump in with advice and suggestions.
I am about at the end of my rope, my husbend is in the later stages of Alzheimers, he is incondenant, and its getting bad, I thought I couls deal with it, but its taking a tole, all I do when I am not working is changing his diapers, hecan still get around and moves quite well , hes not mean or bad to take care of, its just the messing, he will pull down the depends which are full of mess, and poop all over the floor ,, he has lost all control, and he doesnt bother with trying to go in the bathroom, its getting to much,, WHAT DO I DO ???, I thought of putting him in a nursing home , but just the couple times I put him in for respite care , he was soaked so was his bed and smelled of urine, plus was so depressed he didnt exspress any emotions , which he does very little but he knows me and is always happy to see me, , , and if I put him in a nursing home I have so many bills, and bad credit, how would I pay the bills with my income alone,, does anyone have any solutions or advice to my problem, I also have a a big farm house with an attatched effesency appartment I was told I should rent out for extra income, does anyone have any advice or help, I could sure use some advice and help,,, thank You,,, kathy
Because of the money angle, you need the help of State agencies. Have you looked into Medicaid?
Call the Alzheimer's Association Hotline right away - 800-272-3900 - they should be able to get you in touch with the right agencies to help you out and give you the information you need.
We have some well informed members on the Message Boards. I could post this letter for you - I would title it "Kathy needs Help", and you could read all the responses. We also have a very knowledgeable member who does not post much anymore, but I could send your questions to her.
Let me know if you want me to post your questions, but in the meantime, please call the Alzheimer's Association hotline.
Yes you may post my letter, I need to talk to people in my situation, anything will help, Don is on medicaid, we get some help from Area on Aging, Passport Program, Ive called and called united way, the comunity action coucel, name it Ive been there Done that, and I always get the run around, call this number, call that number, and all I am doing is winding back at square one , and I even had a worker tell me I had to call this number, and they would refer me back to them, but they couldnt talk to me till I was refered to by this other help hot line, I was so frustrated, with the whole system and everytime I get on the phone Don is gettint into stuff or right there talking into the phone to where I cant here what there saying, so I gave up on everything, I hit the bottom and give up, but then I pick my self up and try again, only to fail once again, I am so confused I dont know what to do, just deal with it come what may,,,, I did take off work an hour early and made it to the Alzhiemers metting, they gave me a number to a lady that deals with incondenance and Tranquility products and gave me a couple samples, so will call her see if I can find better products then what I am using now, mostly Medicaid payed pullups, and Depends , so YES any help or advice would be deeply appreciated,, Thank You,,Kathy
Kathy, I am so sorry for all you are going through. Trying to do it alone, can only compound the heartache. I am not sure what state you live in. I live in New Hampshire and am just now going through the Medicaid process. They have been wonderful to us, offering us in home care and nurses. I would think these same services would be available in all states.
I am not sure if it will be of any help to you, but I will share what happened to me. I was caring for my husband alone, I am 41, and have been disabled since 99. I had a series of TIA strokes. While in the hospital, I refused to stay, saying I needed to be at home to care for my AD husband, This started, the states involvement with us.
The very next morning I got a call from the Health and Human service department. They were wonderful to me, and I recommend everyone take use of their knowledge and help. They were Concerned for my health, and arrange the care of Lynn so I could go back to the hospital for testing. They saw clearly what I was overlooking. My health was failing due to caregiver stress. They Compassionately offered their services and opened up a whole new world for me. Through them I was put in contact with state programs that help the elderly and disabled, as well as learning about Medicaid and how it could help us.
I am not sure if you have contacted your local Health and Human service office? It sounds like the people you are dealing with are giving you the run around, and that shouldn’t be allowed. The next time you call, demand to speak to a manager. There is help out there, and truly hope you are able to find some soon. Take care of yourself, and post here often… you will find you are no longer alone in your struggles. ~Nikki
Forgot to mention, one of our members divvi, she is the queen of "poop patrol" lol Lynn only has a few accidents so I am not dealing with this yet, but she and others will be by soon with wonderful advice for you. Take care! ~Nikki
Ok, i accept the title Poop Queen with honors as it has almost cost my sanity Kathy. I have been in your shoes with regards to poop patrol for several yrs. now. Mine does the same thing yours is doing just drops his drawers at a moments notice and goes in a place thats appealing to him -at this point i am fully aware its not his fault, he would be devastated if he knew his actions==i didnt want to freak everyone out AGAIN but his latest antic was going in the doggie bowl..boy was that a shocker!!! my chihuahua i swear came to 'tell ' me what daddy was up to. the look on that dogs face was priceless-mine may have been equal:) well nothing shocks me anymore. i didnt even lose it this time, just got about cleaning -done and over with without the added screaming /asking 'why me?" stuff that sometimes accompanies this particular area of caregiving. all i can add, Kathy, is give your DH immodium!!!! try one pill in the am then if that doesnt help add half a pill as needed til you find the right dose. usually 2 pills is more than enough and keeps my DH non-active -:) for about 2days. you should clear the immodium with his dr first of course, call and tell them he needs something and ask if immodium is ok. most of us find this is a good choice-after a day or so,then you have to watch for signs, mine starts the wrinkled brow and pacing --do i know him or what?? if i catch him i can lead him into the bathroom and its a good day..if not, i am like you cleaning up messes. so sorry you are in this position, many yr are just in mid stages and dont have to deal with this issue yet. i am not at the option of nursing home and i hope not to have to make that decision but many in our situation will chose not to have them at home when this becomes a real issue. i dont judge everyone has their breaking points. do whats best for you. if you are asking me i suggest TWO depends one smaller one that fits snuggly then a bigger one over that and the immodium and i use fabulosoa cleaning product for floors which has a very clean smell..i hope this helps to know you are not alone -working and still doing this is alot to handle-wishing you the best, and ((HUGS))) divvi
Divvi, you should accept the title with honors!! I am amazed by you. I too plan to keep Lynn home until the bitter end, you sharing with us... well, it makes me believe I will be able to do it too. Thank you for that!! ~Nikki
Nikki, it IS mind over matter. i am like you trying to keep him home til the bitter end. he's the love of my life come hell or high water. or poop. divvi
I too am sorry for what you are going through. This is such a difficult journey.
Divvi,
I have some questions for the poop queen. Before your husband became incontinent, did he have occasional accidents that were spaced apart or did he just all of a sudden one day become incontinent? What type of sheets do you use on the bed? What type of floors do you have? My husband is not there yet but I think I am less than a year away from incontinence. I have a conbination of carpet, laminate and wood floors. I can't imagine this is going to be easy on any of them.
Kathy,
I am thinking that when my husband becomes incontinent and he doesn't know who I am that that's probably the time I will place him in a nursing home. I know I am going to struggle a lot with the decision. That's probably one of the hardest decisions we will have to make in our lives. I don't post much but I always feel better after I do. We have some great listeners on this forum.
Nikki, I'm keeping my LO with me. I finally decided 2 months ago, no NH's. The ones in my area are either unacceptable or (the decent one) too far. I tell him every so often during the day I love him. Every now and then, I think (maybe its just hope) he understands. Poop be damned!!!
LeeLyle, poop be damned! I love that :) A new motto for me lol Divvi, we sound a lot alike. I am told over and over I should place him.. but, I just can't. I have handled a few accidents a month so far. I know it will get worse….. Like the little engine that could… I just keep repeating I think I can…. I think I can ….LOL
Polly, yes DH started with random accidents. on days where he just seemed more confused than normal. some days he still goes by himself to the bathroom and its a good day. after all these yrs, i think you become in'tune' with them- you can almost feel their needs if this makes sense,:an expression, brow fruncing/just gestures you become aware of- like you would an infant if i can make that analogy. my floors are half marble, half white carpet, (i know, its a pain in the *, and a constant challenge,)the marble isnt hard at all to clean-carpets is another issue but can be done with a good carpet cleaner, i have a hoover, works wonders-as far as bedding i have the 3x3 pads under/over the sheets and towels to boot. and use double extra absorbency depends or serenity pullups. And i got a thin runner to lay down over the carpet that leads to nite bathroom visits -saves lots of dribble work if you get my gest.:) just toss and wash is my motto now.ha. he usually will get up to go several times/nite so i can usually catch it before things get too bad. i hope you have patience, this is the biggest hurdle to tackle, the rest is mind over matter. divvi
Nikki, i get that at least everytime a family member comes to visit. isnt it 'time'???? everyone of course is worried sick for my own sanity. i am the kind that once i take on a mission i just have to make it work out and become quite ademant about what i will /wont do. and theres not a lot of 'wont do's' left on my list. absolutely, if you can make it thru the worse poop issues (and yes they will be downright disatrous and you will think you will go mad,) after a couple of times getting the hang of it all, you will survive and make it work. if you are determined like me, to keep mine at home (and i know that could change)then you just do what makes it work best. i have been on my knees for hrs cleaning then only to have it done again within hours. what good is it to make yourself sick too by letting tension and stress levels up? none, and so i have come to terms with it. you can too, its not easy and you will have days that make you think you are at a standstill, but then you will regain composure and move on.- if you cant and i know some of you wont deal with this, then placement is the option. regardless of the decisions made, it has to be whats best for you both. divvi
Thanks divvi. I am very adamant about keeping him home. He long ago asked me to promise him I would do my level best to insure he never had to be placed in a nursing home. I made that promise and I intend to keep it. He would do no less for me.
So far, the "poop patrol" isn't too bad. A few times a month tops. The urine, well that is another matter. He has accidents, but the bigger problem is where he decides to go. The trash can the sink, the tub... hello... the toilet is 2 feet further LOL. I KNOW it isn't his fault, so I deal with it. I buy those puppy training pads to clean up the mess, and I bought one of those black lights that "detect" urine, and the urine be gone spray. It really does work btw.
While cleaning up, I just think... if one of the dogs had an accident, you clean it up... No big deal. Same thing here. You are right, it IS mind over matter. I lost my only baby, and had two miscarriage since... so no babies for me. I don't have the same skill those of you who are mothers have, but I am learning fast! I often say, Lord, when I told you I wanted a baby... THIS isn't what I had in mind!! My family just gets the biggest kick out of that and my attitude. Everyone says they could never do it, but you never know what you can or will do, until you are faced with it.
I just love this site, and know I will be here for the long haul. Caregivers unite!!! And poop be damned!! Gotta love that!
This at the VERY least, warrants a HUGE chapter in Joans new book???? i can see it now, chapter 11, POOP BE DAMNED":) and the countless episodes of humour??? within those boundaries. ok, maybe not so humorous... good for you, Nikki, you have the attitude to succeed for sure. for your consolation, my DH just LOVES the garbage compactor..:)divvi
Incontinence does have its own headline. Go to the top of the page, click "search". Type in "incontinence"; make sure the "topic" circle is filled in, and click the "search" rectangle under it. The "incontinence" discussion will come up.
as she says in bigtreemurphy, "it's just poop, people." That's the phrase I now use when talking to people in the zoo elephant barn. Elephants have very poor digestive systems so they poop a LOT. You can fill up a wheelbarrow with one elephant's one poop. (they have learned to back against the wall to go, most of the time; the keeper however, taught them to respond to the command "sh*t" which doesn't work too well when there are kids around)
Agree with Divvi - IMMODIUM!! DOUBLE PULL-UP BRIEFS - I haven't had any trouble with the ones from Wal-Mart, much cheaper than the other kinds. Big pad on the bed over beach towel over ANOTHER pad so at least the mattress is safe.
Dear Kathy--I do not have these issues yet. I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this. Do try and call those agencies listed at the top of this site. Hopefully, they will be able to help you. You do sound stressed and you will not be able to help your husband if you get sick. I wish I had something positive to tell you--I'm just not educated yet. However, I know I will be one of these days. And, at this point I'm planning on caring for him at home. The only thing concrete I can offer you is my prayers. Blessings. Pease. I hope you can get some help soon!
Imohr, works like a Plug!:) and like joan says half an hour. you can give too much depends on the person, 2 pills plugs a horse:) i only use 2 if i am on the road for a long time.. i wouldnt leave home without it...isnt that a commercial?? divvi
LOL, I was having a hectic afternoon and early evening........ took a break from it all and came here. Was laughing so loud had the pups barking! Ahhh this site is good for the soul :)
Last night a friend came for supper and brought her dog. I was surprised, but nothing to do but put my dog in the car and let hers in the rig. Last night I got up in the dark to get a Kleen-x and stepped in dog crap! LuLu has never, ever done that, but I think she isn't quite sure what happened to Hank and she sure as heck doesn't want another dog in our home! So, I thought of all of you, and at 3 AM got out the carpet cleaner and promised my own pet - no more doggy visitors! The only thing I learned was putting the regular underwear over the depends, or whatever so at least they look more normal to themselves and Hank only took off the first layer, and left the rest on - but I don't know if he would have continued to do that if he had lived longer. No way around it, this is a rough disease and everyone deserves medals!
I've had bad problems in the past. Imodium is a God send. Generally the first dose will deal with the issue. A normal first dose after diarrhea is 2 pills. Occasionally I'll need to take a third if the diarrhea doesn't stop. Once, when I had a very bad "stomach flu" I was told by an advice nurse (after she spoke to the doctor) that it is safe to take as many as 10 in one day, but I can't imagine doing that. The box says 4 in one day, but as usual, the dose on the OTC box is way lower than what they actually prescribed when it was a prescription drug.
If you have cleaned yourself out with the diarrhea you won't have a bowel movement for at least 24 hours, sometimes 48.
I haven't needed to use this drug on my husband, so I can't speak to that, but if you figure what the normal dosage is for someone who is sick, you can probably figure out what you should use in a pinch. I'd talk to a doctor before I started using Imodium on a daily basis.
I've used immodium once or twice every time I've travelled, and supplied it to others as well. A LOT of immodium. If the bus is leaving in half an hour and you have the runs, take immodium!! I got through the Hermitage in St. Petersburg in 1988 only bec. of immodium - the water there was not safe to drink!
Hello,, thanks for the Help, I read the replys and I wanted to reply to everyone, aspcially the POOP Queen,, I like the humor you girls have , just my kind of people. I know there was someone out there in the later stages, knee deep in poop, Ive tried booster pads plus two depends, till he walked like a cow boy whos been in the saddle all day, and he still is soaked, I ve watched his water intake before bed, but he has bed time pills to take and has to drink plenty of water, Ive got the bed pads, but I have well water and Ive almost ran the well dry washing so many cloths pads sheets, I even have a wringer washer to save on water,Ive went to tile floors layed linoleum over my carpet in the bedroom, Ive got trash cans out my front door to take the messy diapers out, which is ok till the wind does a shift, then I have to close the front door I have him on Medimusle Fiber pill once a day, but then he gets constpated , and too much. I take him off it and he gets the diaria, the Doctor told me to put him on fiber pill, so now its been two days, nice no poop, but look out tomorrow, AND the Dogs,, I have 4, 3 females one male all fixed, but Don and Sinjin, have to compete for the domance, once both were house broke, now Dons not allowed in the kitchen cause he will pee in the dogs bed,, sinjin in return isnt allowed in the living room cause he pees on Dons couch where he sits,, when there both out side, I think they see who can pee on moms flowers more, Don has even peed on the caregiver while she sat on the steps, he got behind her and peed on her back and arm, talk about someone in shock, sijinn doesnt take his marking territory that bad, when the care giver went home her husband told her she smelled like urine,, she told him her client peed on her,, and Don stood there and laughed the whole time. I was asked at the alzheimers meeting if I thought he did these things for spite,, I said Yes I do. I"ve been told no they dont do it for spite, its the desease, they why, if I tell him to be good, and dont wet or mess his pants, I will take him out to dinner, will get him something to eat, he will say ok,, and he will be good in the store, stays dry and clean. I d like to remain in this support group, you girls are where I am at, and I to am trying my hardest to keep him out of the nursing home. He's 15 years older then I am, but we have been together for 36 years, married 30 of those years, those many years, you become one,I am getting to where I enjoy the little breaks I get, and I enjoy going to work,, getting away from him,, even tho I work in assistant living alzheimers unit. Yes, Alzheimers unit, and Kitchen. I am dietary for 20 patients, but they're not as far along as Don, and I dont have to clean them up. I prepare their food and special diets and serve them, and get to visit with them. Most can still carry on a conversation. they don"t remember your name , but they remember your face, , its my out, I leave one at home under a caregiver, and go to work with 20 alzhiemers patients,, all in there 80, or over, some in there 90, ,, You girls are awsome,, love your humor,,, kathy
In my experience, Imodium used for diarrhea according to the directions on the box (or just the one extra pill following doctor's orders) the answer to the constipation question is no. It doesn't set you up into a diarrhea - constipation - diarrhea cycle. You just don't have another bowel movement for 24 to 48 hours after the diarrhea stops, and then it is a normal one and you are all better.
It is one of the things that makes this drug excellent.
As for how to use it for an incontenent spouse who doesn't have diarrhea, I have no clue. If the LO does have diarrhea, just use as directed, but expect the long, normal, wait for things to start up again.
My grams did not have AD, but she did have this same issue. She tried very hard to make it to the potty but the poor thing couldn't. What we did was at night, we used the pull up diapers to make it easier to slide down FAST... and we bought her a "bedside commode" The arms went down on the commode so she could more easily slide into it from the bed. Most nights, she made it. Not sure if this would help? It made clean up much easier for me, I only had to deal with one area. Under the commode, I placed one of those large clear pads (for office chairs) to make clean up even easier.
Humor, is vital! You laugh or cry... most days I prefer to laugh :) Best of luck, Nikki
Wow, Kathy, so sorry you too are dealing with these unpleasant issues. as you have read i have been designated the POOP queen here much to my dismay but accept the title as its true every bit of it:) now after reading your post i think i may have to relinquish my title to you for a bit?? ha. we do have to put a little humour into it or we ourselves will go nuts. seems like you are doigng whats necessary to get the job done, i do about what you are doing only its not every day but when that particular day 'strikes' its unsettling and makes for a particularly bad day. i have on occasion also decided my DH has some faculties left with regards to when/why de does some of this stuff. i do believe it sometimes has to do with spite.:) i guess all we can say from reading posts like ours is its a definate part of AD sooner or later in the game most everyone here is going to have to address the inpleasant issues involved with home caregiving. i think you are doing a marvelous job and from one poop queen to another i salute your efforts. i AM hoping someone else comes along soon to take my title.? keep your chin up, i know its distressing somewhere along the road i hope we all get some kind payback for all we do if not in this world maybe the next.. my best, divvi
I noticed briegull mentioned Bigtree Murphy, but did anyone actually suggest that Kathy look at Bigtree's site regarding incontinence? Several pages might be helpful:
Dressing For Incontinence Care http://bigtreemurphy.com/Incon.Dressing.htm
The Taking-Charge Stage of Incontinence Care http://bigtreemurphy.com/Incon.StageII.htm
Pads, Tools, and How to Use Them Effectively http://bigtreemurphy.com/Incon.Pads.htm
Hi everyone, I wrote a nice long e mail to all of you last night, but somehow it didnt go thru, so am just going to write a short one till I get the hang of this, when it comes to computor brains , I lack in that department, but I am learning, ,I started Don back on the Fiber pill, yesterday while with the caregiver, he stayed dry, clean, went to the bathroom like a good fellow, this morning I was home , he got up soaked, and messy, , so is it me or spite?, its been raining we went to the store and out to eat, hes been good, but sleepy all day, he layed on the couch till 3 pm sleeping, I let him sleep as I was making out bills and balancing the check book, , he just seems out of it, I just hope he doesnt perk up at bed time, I have to work 2 ten hour days, I need that beauti rest, not that its doing any good, but I need it,,, well let me see if this will go thru,, kathy
Welcome Kathy. You will get the hang of posting. Sometimes my posts don't go through and I'm very experienced in forums. Generally it is because I hit the BACK TO DISCUSSIONS instead of the ADD YOUR COMMENTS.
Good luck with work. I hope he lets you sleep. Most of the time my husband just cat naps, but when he does take real naps he generally needs to go to sleep at his regular time anyway. I hope your husband did the same for you.
About being poop Queen ,,, I wouldnt want to strip you of your title, Ill just be your assistant , running mate, , ,, we are in the same boat together, ,, what a boat to be in,, couldnt we get on another boat,, like a cruise ship,, with out the Depends, pads pullups, :) well I am going to go wash the bathroom down, seen a few brown splatters on the trash can and side of toilet, now wonder how I missed that?, , I mopped the floor, cause its different shades of brown looking stone tile , , but it needs a good cleaning, so the assestant poop queen is going to clean kings poops thrown ,, A mans house is his castle? why does the queen have to clean it, I thought they had survents for that ?, my 4 leggrd survents only clean the other floors, talk to you ladies later,,, thanks for being there for me,, your awsome,
I use to raise shelties , till Don got ALZ, I showed them in Obedience, and agillity, I didnt like the politicks in conformation, , I like the fun stuff, , I have 4 shelties left, lost 3 this year, one 16, and two 15 year olds, the 4 I have left are 15, and 2 will be 14 in November, and my baby only 10 3/4 inches, and a ton of coat, is 5 years old, shes a registered therapy dog, and she goes to Day care centers, and where I work, every one wants me to visit more and I love taking here in to see the seniors, but its had to do so, with Don, Feather has a few agility titles, but havent been able to show her, , cause I cant take Don to the dog shows, I am going to try to finish her 2 novice AKC titles, Jumpers, and Novice Agillity, she has legs in them, she has titles in another Organiaction, I couldnt make it without my dogs the unconditional love , aspecialy Feather, shes was Heaven sent to me, at the time I got her I was taking care of mom with COPD, and Don with ALZ, a breeder I know had this uggly runt of the litter, scared shy, she kept telling me I needed a puppy to love and train , at the time we were doing freestyle dancing with the dogs, I was working with one of my 12 years old ones at the time, ,, she wanted to give me Feather, I didnt want her, after freestyle classes shed want me to come over look at the puppies,, she only had the three in the litter, at 9 weeks, Feather came up to me I had treats in my pocket, I had her setting , down and rolling over, and crawling , this uggly little runt was smart, the breeder said she couldnt sell her, she was just to small and the runt, I told her I didnt know Id think about it,, well it was comming up mothers day, and was not a good mothers day for me, with Don, mom and I enjoyed each other, but just wasnt enough I was felling down, so I called the breeder and said OK Id take the runt,, talking about the uggly duckling turning into a beautiful swan , Feather Did, and of all the shelties we have came accross, none are smaller then Feather, , an AKC judge messured her at 3 years old at 10 3/4 all the other runts Ive seen or small shelties, are 12 inches or more,, she has helped me thru a lot of stress and tears, , ,, love her,,, Kathy
Katanshelties, happy to have a VP running mate for the title!!...i am hoping to lose ground soon to another here. its not a title i long to hold for any length of time. sorry you are dealing with these nasty issues too. divvi
Divvi this is Kathy, who eles is running for PQ ( poop Queen) ? I had to sign in as Katanshelties cause my other name has already been taken, Katanshelties was my kennel name when I was breeding shelties, how long has your hubby had AZ ? someone asked me what state I was in , I am in ohio, anyone eles in Ohio, or near by? ..kathy
I have had chronic dirarrhea since 1983 - I am 70 and for years I have been incontinent at times. I have to plan around my condition - know where all the restrooms are all over town. Have had all the tests and they say some people just have diarrhea. So, I take Immodium. It comes over the counter in a little powder pill. If your insurance pays for Rxs you can get your doctor to write a Rx for it and it is much cheaper - my copay is $3 for 120 pills and they are small capsules that are a little easier for me to swallow. I can take up to 4 a day, but usually one in the am and one in the pm are enough. It apparently takes the moisture out of the BM and makes it stay in. I wear diapers a lot of times - and like the ones that are Target brand. On days when it is bad, I wear skirts, because it isn't fun pulling off trousers in a stall and trying to clean everything up. I always have my "kit" of diapers, wipes, plastic bag to throw it in. Things like cereal, fresh anything - fruit, raw vegetables make it worse. I also am lactose intolerant and since I found that out and use the Lactaid enxyemes, it is better. If my husband had this problem - and he doesn't yet - I think I would put him in a caftan type thing. He used to love to wear them when we were all hippies. It is so much more messy having to deal with trousers - it gets every where. Poop is a very efficient delivery system - a little can go a very long way and reach places that one never thought was possible - I think it takes off on a life of its own. Also, I plan my eating around my problem. If I have to go out in the morning, I don't eat breakfast , just some Boost. If I go out to dinner - which is rare, my doctor told me to take an extra one before I go so I don't have to make an emergency stop on the way home. I always have towels in the back seat of my car cause you just never know when you need them. It is amazing what you can put up with when you learn how to make it work. Most of my friends don't have a clue - I play tennis, etc. They just know I have funny eating habits and don't eat the crunchy veggies they all like - I am at the applesauce stage. Hope this helps someone.
dagma3, I admire you for finding a way to live your life and keep going wherever you want when you want. Thank you for letting us know how to better handle our spouses with the same problem. I appreciate your sharing!
Kathy, welcome! Divvi will gladly give up the title she was given! She has given us so many good laughs - because she has such a wonderful attitude about what she has to deal with.
That is the key - our attitude in dealing with the different problems as they arise. Find the easiest way to deal with it, and find the humor in it - and we'll come through this in better health!
Dagma3, I am only in my mid 50s and I have to watch, never fails if I go out and eat, within 30 minits I am walking like a stiff board, and taking fast little steps as fast as I can to the rest room, and if Don is with me we both go into the ladies restroom back in the handycap stall, so I try not to go out and eat till I get all my running Done, and can come stright home, since Don is older then I ,70 I think he has the same problem, plus the exersize gets the system moving, I wish more stores had the familly restrooms,, I notice the newer stores are putting Familly restrooms in,,,, everytime I take Don into the Ladys restrooms, he will start yelling, "its comming out ,,its comming out,, he saids it in excitement, when I try to change him in the stalls, he yelling What are you doing, , what are you doing, I had one older lady took forever washing her hands, stood there and was pulling paper towels drying her hands several times, , that wasnt enough she had to use the hand dryers kept pushing the hand dryers, I felt like telling her , TO please leave doesnt take anyone that long to dry there hands, by the time she left, the poop was dry I was waiting for her to leave so I could wet some towels to clean him up, I just put clean pullups on him and we came home,, , I guess with all the yelling Don was doing ,, "Its comming out !! and what are you doing? she wanted to stay and see what eles we were going to say,, I laugh at it now, and the one time he was pushinf and growning in lowes bathroom and saying its comming out , then hed grunt, I know the lady in the next stall thought we were having a baby ,I should of told Don to breath , I was telling him to push and push it out,, ,, It doesnt bother me to take him into a rest room any more, , its a new exspearance everytime, one to remember,,, ,OH Ive learned to look at the humor in all things, , YOU have to or we'd be in stright jackets, on a funny farm, its just once in awhile we get over whelmed and we are down, and we need someone to talk to and incurouge us to go on that were not alone, and you girls on here have gave that to me again, I was on another messageboard, but it kinda fiszzled out , but am glad Ive found you and now know how to post messages, thanks everyone, Kathy
dagma, I've got an earlier version of what you have. At one point when my thyroid medication wasn't at the levels it needed to be I had a version closer to where you are, but still not quite so bad. The problem with low thryoid is that its symptoms are all over the place and mimmics other diseases.
It is messy, it is frustrating and it hurts. It is good to know that when it gets worse, and it probably will, that there is something out there that will help. Thank you for sharing.
once upon a time, on a safari tour in Kenya, there was a woman who had equipped herself with the latest thing: culottes. One-piece pants and top together. Now, a LOT of people on tours there get Montezuma's revenge, and plumbing is pretty primitive. THis poor woman (it really wasn't me) had the most AWFUL time dealing with having to remove all her clothes to use the toilet!
Hi Ann, does your husben have AD, what stage is he in?,, my hubby is in the later stages,, we live east of Akron Ohio, off of I 76,, ,, he has had it for more then 8 years, they figure he had it in his mid to late 50s, hes 70 now, I am younger then he is by 15 years, but we've been married for 30 been together for 35,,, so hes still the love of my life,, kathy
Katanshelties, Yes, it's my hubby with AD,I'd say stage 4. I really think we seen it for at least 10 yrs or more. You know, when you think back.We live near Toledo. We're both in our early 70's.I wish we lived closer.Ann
So do I , seems like everyone I keep in contac with lives far away, ,, I need advice on house breaking Don , just cought him peeing down the heater vent , , thats going to be good come winter when I fire up the furance,, I already put tile floors in everyroom , now hes peeing down the vents,,and I cant reach down in then to clean them I guess I could tie a sponge or rag on the end of a broom handle ,,tomorrow will have to do alot of cleaning, the house is starting to smell, I can tell when I come home from work, , I hate to see winter come along when I have to close all the windows,,house will really smell,,, well I took a musle relaxer, been getting charlie horses in my right leg at night , I think its starting to kick in , talk to ya later,,,,,,,,, kathy
divvi, I just got my first "initiation" into the POOP Court! May I state for the record, that my inititation took place this morning upon awakening. The alarm went off and I got up and went into the bathroom to find that my light green throw rug was now 3/4 brown. The toilet was 1/2 brown. There was a brown hand print on the wall tile. So, before my eyes were fully open, I was scrubbing the bathroom. Then I, in my innocence (remember that I haven't had ANY COFFEE as yet), took my shower. When I went back to the bedroom, my husband had gotten up and dressed. I looked at the sheets, and realized that they had to be washed as well. When we got to the kitchen, I looked at his hands and realized he needed to wash them and we returned to the newly cleaned bathroom. I returned to the kitchen to get my first cup of COFFEE and barely managed to take my first drink when I looked down and saw that my husband of 46 years who has NEVER gone barefooted, was, in fact, barefooted. Then I took a good look at his feet.
I put my coffee cup down and we returned to the bathroom a second time so that I could scrub his feet and get the caked on poop washed off. My stomach was queazy through all of this, but I managed to maintain, thank goodness! I don't know if I could have had the stamina to clean up after myself as well! <grin> Somehow, his rear had gotten clean, so I didn't have to completely bathe him! <grin>
Needless to say, my Monday morning got off to a "shi**y" start! The week has to improve from here!
I realize that this may be the start of something....and I am hopefully up to the challenge!