My husband, early severe, has had a bad week. A change in meds is part of the cause so I have returned to the original meds. He has been and still is hallucinating, tremors worse, loss of appetite. Today he slept 4 hours in his recliner and I was unable to wake him up sooner. First time for difficulty waking him.
He started talking when he woke telling me he had walked for an hour and a half today. Talked about people talking and singing. Said he was not able to sing and mentioned funeral among other things. I picked up on the funeral and asked him "Whose funeral did you go to?" He said, "mine". He was matter of fact and not a bit upset but it threw me for a loop. My Mom talked about funerals near the end, as well as seeing deceased family members. His cognitive abilities and tremors are better this evening.
Oh Imohr, has he ever talked like that before? I've heard of very sick people seeing deceased family and friends. Since he's better this evening, though, maybe he was just having a bad morning. You know how this disease has it's ups and downs.
Imohr, it may be from the meds. is he drinking lots of fluids? if not get some of those pedialyte pops and start them. the drill you know, uti worries -make sure hes going to the bathroom when he goes. dribbles can mean uti too. changing meds does that it shakes their systems up something fierce. it will be a week or so before he gets back with his old meds and the other out of system. you may want to contact his dr if the hallucinating continues. hope hes better soon. my DH too had a setback today as well. drop in BP. scared the beejeebies out of me too. always something with these guys! divvi
I think it was the meds. He took his shower without help tonight and dressed himself and even got his own clothes. Hasn't did that for a long time. He isn't drinking enough fluids but I don't know how to remedy that. He drinks a glass of cranberry juice mornings and minimum water during the day. He does drink a iced coffee from Mc daily. I have water sitting everywhere and he just won't touch it. Will get the pops tomorrow and try them. I bought a sports drink today with the electrolites in it but since he slept all afternoon and I didn't want to give him extra fluid at bedtime will have to wait until tomorrow. I tell him he will get sick with urinary infection and it doesn't faze him.
Lois, My DH's husband warned him about caffine..said it was dehydrating..and to drink only decaffinated. Remember that at McD. These hallucinations scare the dickens out of me when mine has them. Not often, thank goodness. I wonder why - with everything else they do, why the hallucinations are the most scary of all for US.
I know about the caffine. Just seems to be one of his few pleasures in life so I am going to let him enjoy it. We have been spreading it out to every other day usually and going for a small milk shake instead. Chocolate candy is his only other caffine. I just can't figure out how to get fluids in an adult who refused to drink.
Dont cut out the caffine...just go to decaffinated iced coffee. Caffine doesn't have a taste, and if you don't mention it around him, he'll never know. fiblets again! I understand that my DH won't drink water because he has AD...but I don't want him to not drink water, ..juice,.. anything!!.. You would think I was trying to get him to drink Clorox. He won't drink Water but he would gargle with After Shave Lotion until I hid it. Good grief......... awwwgggggg.
Does decaf coffee really taste the same as regular coffee? Not being a coffee drinker and really hating all the decaf teas I have tried, that seems impossible. My sister has some decaf teas she likes but they all taste horrible to me.
My DH was never a water drinker but he liked his coffee, milk, sprite and chocolate milkshakes. I always figured any fluid was still better than none. Now, he drinks iced tea, cranberry juice, apple juice but still resists water.
Any way you can get fluids in is good. Whether it be actual liquids - juice, soda, tea, coffee, gatorade, milk, ice cream, or foods that have a lot of liquid - fruits and veggies like celery, lettuce; jello, puddings, soups - anything with high liquid content is better than nothing.
I cannot tell the difference in decaf and caffinated coffee. Just asked my granddaughter the same question over the telephone. In college, she worked part time as a "Barista" and she said she didn't believe the taste was changed and mentioned that often people would swear their decaf was "in fact" caffinated...because they could TASTE the caffine. They'd have to prove to the customer it was - in fact - decaffinated...and the customer would be surprised. She said the stronger the coffee, the more it tastes caffinated. ALL Starbuck's coffee must be caffinated..because to me, it is soooooooooo strong! :-)
I'm with you Nancy B, can't tell by taste. I cut out caffeine years ago due to cystic breasts but am not overly fussy about it. I'll drink a coke or order tea when I'm out. Somebody did a study a couple of years ago about the amount of caffeine in decaf coffee and it varied widely from brand to brand, i.e., Starbucks, Folgers, etc. Need to see if I can find that.
I can definitely tell the difference between the two. I love good coffee beans and buy the best when I can and grind my own. But I cannot bear to drink any kind of decaf. Makes me sick to my stomach.
Starbuck's is very strong. We normally don't drink coffee but do like the Mc in the mornings. I have tried making it at home with decaf but can't get it to taste as good and I think a lot of it is buying it out and sipping through a straw. Don't like any of their other coffee's. I think there is a taste difference between decaf and regular. When I was drinking ice tea I would make it with Lipton's decaf and my daughters also make it decaf. Not as tasty but we are ok with it. I still am not ok with any unsweetened ice tea.
DH was up at 5 this morning and took his sponge bath and I helped him put a clean shirt on and settled him in bed with me. We both slept until 8:30 and I had to help him up as usual but he was unable to walk. First time ever with this Parkenson symptom. I had to guide and push him slowly to the recliner in my room and went ahead and made the bed and dressed. He woke up and was able to get out of the chair and walk as usual, so crisis was over. Daughter stayed here with him while I took the grandchildren to ball practice and for a couple more errands.
Seems to be about over the tremors. When I came back he wanted to talk about his "Funeral yesterday" but couldn't bring up the details. He did comment it was difficult having a funeral.
I told daughter. DO NOT CALL 911 unless he falls and breaks something or some other obvious emergency. Least change in meds just throws him in a tailspin and I hate to think of what a Hospital ER would do to him. I said when the moving happens again I am going to call our pcp about Hospice and have them come out for an accessment. I really don't need a aide or nurse at this time but being able to have one on call instead of ER would be good.
Lois, it's good to know things have settled down for the moment. Your DH's talk of watching his funeral may be a indication that he is beginning the process of saying goodbye? I agree about the ER. Sending good thoughts and a hug your way.
My daughter stayed with him a few hours yesterday and she said he tried to tell her about his funeral dream but couldn't recall much and told her to ask me. Well, he couldn't recall much to tell me either. He is still talking about it today and mentioned a name of his childhood girlfriend and she just rushed up to him and gave him a big hug. (she died a few years ago of cancer). I asked him who else he saw, did he see his Mom and Dad or his brother Fred? He said no he didn't see them. This seems to be a positive experience for him but it is kind of freaking the girls out. I keep trying to prepare them.
So many people are afraid of death. Could be with this dream he is no longer afraid and ready whenever - not that he is in a hurry to die, just not afraid.