My dh holds his hands so very tight that I can barely separate them at times. He is so strong! Has anyone tried something at home (not the botox) that may help like putting on mittens or something like that?
brindle, i think its part of the disease that they do start to 'constrict' thier extremities. my dh is farther along than yours into late stage7 but he clinches his hands almost all the time now and crosses his legs into a postion that feels like cement. its very difficult to take him out of this position at times. what i was recommended is to put something into his hands so they dont create moisture like a cotton sock to hold so it absorbs moisture and doesnt create bacteria. i have been successful in this. and for the legs i also use a small micro fiber pillow in between his legs to avoid pressure. the skin can deteriorate over time so its best if hes doing this to start now to help avoid serious issues over time. if DH was in earlier stages i might consider botox or such to releive it if it would help. contractions are part of the disease as they progress i would think. they wind up in a fetal postion in the end as many will attest.it may be a good idea to use a moisture barrier creme also over his hands if hes clenching alot too . ask his dr if there is anything to do.
Thank you so much. Yes, my dh also crosses his ankles when he is in bed and I can see the redness it causes. When he crosses hands or feet, it is like trying to separate something glued together. He is so strong! I'll try giving him something to hold onto. Thanks. Bluedaze, I do keep his nails (and mine) short because when he scratches, he draws blood. Never ending issues.
i was wondering if the adenaline is being affected and giving them super strength at times! my DH mid stage 7 can bring me to my knees with one hand squeeze and hes rail thin. no clue why but its amazing they dont lose their grip as fast. and the crossed legs are just as hard to uncross or bend knees.
I am also having the leg crossing problem with my husband. I have tried the micro pillow and he crosses the legs on top of the pillow. So far I cannot find anything to keep the legs apart. They are so strong and stiff it is all I can do to move them. help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my DH will also kick the pillow out most of the time and i have come up with another option to try.
wrap a soft towel on one leg and fasten with those bandage clips. if he crosses one or the other leg its still got protection from skin on skin. i may find some fleece leg warmers may work too= the kind we used to ski in!
My sister in law did this after a bad shoulder injury and then shingles..She always had neuropathic pain. She clenched her fists so hard she would cause little cuts from her nails. Then she was given something that fit her hand to grasp yet keep from getting wounds.
It is not the skin wound that has me worried at this point, we have had no problems there, it is the contraction that causes me to be unable to pull his legs apart when trying to change him, they keep getting closer and tighter together. It is getting hard. I try putting something between them and he seems to cross on top of the pillow, I have found nothing that works for this.
Jane, this was one thing that I dealt with....there was nothing I ever found that worked. He crossed his legs as soon after changing him as he could. I kept a pillow between his legs and just let it go. You do have to be strong to get their legs uncrossed that is for sure.
i found in the childrens dept yesterday while out, two soft cotton wrapped animal rattles that squeak when pressed. i think this is a good substitute for the sox i was using in DH clenched hands. they can be washed and i showed him how to squeak them- and if nothing else its some hand exercise for him squeezing and releasing . he is enjoying squeaking them. :) even at 3am.. haha.. oh the things we do.
i dont have any relief either for the crossed legs when changing other than muscle power. amazing the strength they maintain in extremities. i guess at this point all we can do is manage skin control issues.
i think from responses this constricting of hands, legs, toes, may be another commom issue in late stages. divvi
The physical therapy department of the nursing home my husband was in "invented" a couple of different things for him to grasp in his hands but nothing worked as well as a rolled up wash cloth.
I tried giving my dh a teddy bear to hold onto and he just drops it. Won't hold on to anything. Sometimes I find him pulling at his shirt really hard and when I ask if he is ok, he says there is nothing wrong. (There is never anything wrong). When I get dh to finally get out of a chair (or bed) and try to turn him around, it is like moving a weight . He just won't budge. Then he will go half way and begin to sit! No wonder I have shoulder and arm issues. By the time dh is up, cleaned, dressed, etc. in the morning and at the breakfast table, I feel like I have done an 8 hr shift at manual labor.
Brindle, get help with this. I know it's hard, but do try. Sometimes people can come by on their way to other work and just help you get him up and dressed. And at the end of the day, the same.
Travelling on the airplane the other day I heard the safety spiel with new ears: put the oxygen mask on you before you try to help your child. And that's what we need to be able to do as well - save ourselves or we won't be able to help our spouses.