Today my DH came into the apartment from being outside and said that he must have bit his lip but he doesn't know how he did it. I asked him if it was bleeding and he said no(I was in the kitchen and he was in the living room) I ran into the living room and looked at his lip and it was pretty bad. Really close to bleeding, but he said he didn't even know how it happened or when. I know that in the research I have done that it is possible for them to do things but not feel it. My question is, does that happen with just parkinsons(which he also has) or the dementia or both? It is really scary to think that he could actually do something to himself and not even know that he did it or how he did it.
Jeff bangs himself all the time and has no idea how. A couple months ago I spotted a huge black and blue blotch on his inner thigh that really freaked me a little. I kept an eye on it, and it went away, but I have no clue, still. Probably whacked himself climbing on or off the elliptical trainer, but these things are pretty common.
its a possibility the damage occuring in the brains could cause sensory impairment and disurptions in nerve centers. my DH too bruised banged and cut and never seemed to feel it much. in later stages this may be a positive note. :(
I guess this is one reason it's actually an advantage that at some point we have to help them bathe and dress. At least then we get a good look at the body and will notice if something odd is going on. My husband had a cyst on his back that suddenly became inflamed and red, I noticed it during a shower. He hadn't told me anything about it bothering him, but I had one years ago and mine was painful when it got inflamed. So I quickly got him to the surgeon and had it removed before it worsened.
These are all really good ideas. I also agree that in the long run not feeling what has just happened to them might be a blessing in disguise even though right now it is worrisome.